Damaged Goods
by liverose
Summary: Carrie is presented to Kane as a peace offering by Edge and Lita, but what ensues is anything but peaceful as they fight both their feelings and their opponents. Kane X OC (Third time's the charm on editing / updating story)
1. No returns

**(Editing and changing this story till I get it just right.)**

 **Chapter 1: No returns**

"Babe are you sure this is a good idea?" Lita questioned scratching the back of her head. She was no longer backing their plan, it seemed well and good until the prospect of going through with it became real. "I mean you've seen him angry. Kane is unstoppable when he's angry. If you piss him off with this-"

"Li, don't worry. If he doesn't accept our peace offering then we'll just make a deal with the lesser of two evils." Edge insisted, he was confident in his plan, he was always confident in his plans.

"We can't just do that in the first place?" Lita was less confident, her mind racing with the probable scenarios in which something goes terribly wrong.

"Because I don't like deals Babe. This way I don't owe anyone anything. Where's you're faith in me? There is a chance this all works out perfect and everyone leaves happy!" Edge kissed her on top of her head.

"This is Kane we're talking about no one leaves happy." Lita retorted flatly shaking her head, maybe Edge didn't understand the big red monster like she did.

 _'What the hell do they want? What could they possibly want?! Calling me out to the ring like this. I don't have the time or patience for them. Do they think I live to chase them around.'_ Kane tied his boots, stewing over this huge waste of time. _'We have a present for you big guy!'_ he remember Edge gloating. Kane scoffed as he stood and begrudgingly left the locker room.

"I'm late I'm late for a very important date no time to say hello goodbye I'm late I'm late I'm late!" Carrie slammed Sidney's car door shut leaving him and her other two friends in her dust as she ran into the arena. _'Guess my mom wasn't kidding when she said my birth was the first and only time I wasn't late!'_ She panicked almost losing her footing as she whipped around corners and stumbled through hallways. _'Most important day of your career and you're going to be late.'_ "Dummy" She spoke aloud as she grew closer to the destination.

"Now you may be wondering, hey why would Edge and Lita go through the trouble of getting me a gift?" Edge paused for a reaction but Kane only wrinkled his nose. "….Well I'll tell you. We're friendly people Kane, genuinely good hearted good looking people, and we like to see people happy." Edge playfully punched Kane in the shoulder. At this Kane slouched down as he walked nose to nose with Edge, walking him slowly backwards into a corner.

"Hurry UP." Kane breathed hoarsely into Edge's microphone. Kane was getting ever more impatient, ever more angry, ever more eager to punch Edge in his overly cocky smile. _' I'll knock every last god damned tooth out. See how much of a chatterbox you'll be then.'_ Kane's hands gripped the ropes at either side of Edge, boxing him in further, Kane continued to squeeze his hold on the ropes tighter, forcing Edge to notice there was nowhere to run.

"…Ok right! See I know why you don't like me. I . . . Well I stole your woman from under your feet." Edge winked over at Lita, trying his best to hide fear with outright arrogance. Kane was now audibly grinding his teeth. Had they been in a cartoon smoke would be bursting out of his ears.

' _If this is what they brought me out here for there'll be hell to pay.'_ He took his heated gaze from Edge momentarily to glance back at Lita, noticing the look of sheer terror on her face. _'It's going to get worse isn't it?'_ For a moment he gave a half sulking frown but as Edge went to speak again the frown amplified into a scowl. To Kane Edge's voice was like fingernails on a chalk board.

"So I thought I'd lend you a helping hand buddy!" Edge moved his hand to pat Kane on the back but seeing the look in Kane's eyes he recoiled and decided against it, the smartest thing he had done all day. "We searched all over! Far and wide! Amateur wrestling companies across the country! And good news, we found you a girl!" Edge saw what he thought was impossible, more anger rise in Kane, one could almost literally see the blood boil under Kane's pale skin. "I mean just a valet dude calm down, I didn't bring her here to cook and eat her . . . unless you're into that kind of thing. You'll like her, promise. Carrie, come on down!" Edge spoke fast and was relieved when her music hit so as to force Kane's attention elsewhere. Kane backed away and sourly watched the ramp. The song the hunger by the distillers boomed through the speakers as she scrambled towards them her face red and sweaty her hair matted slightly to her forehead, she hadn't stopped running since the parking lot, which had afforded her no time to get camera ready. She brushed some of her wavy brown hair out of her eyes as she got closer to the ring in a last ditch effort to seem presentable and professional. She studied Kane as she neared, intrigued yet cautious she made her way through the ropes.

 _'He's so much bigger . . . taller . . . he's a giant.'_ She gawked staring up at the stoic man, the T.V screen didn't do his size much justice. Carrie gave her best million dollar smile and a giddy wave to the monster. Kane cocked his head to one side as he looked at her, but his scowl did not crack. He was quickly put off by this whole turn of events, quickly annoyed, as the curiosity dwindled he quickly returned back to a rage filled state.

 _'Women equal pain.'_ He immediately viewed her as nothing more than a thorn in his side.

"Sooooo?!" Edge questioned eagerly, fingers crossed that things would run smoothly, his wishes went unfulfilled.

" I don't want her!" Kane huffed like an upset child. Carrie's smile turned to a meek and uncomfortable cringe.

 _'Guy really has a way with words.'_ She squirmed where she stood, unsure what to do next, after being so bluntly cast off.

"Oh come on give the girl a chance. Take her for a test drive." Edge gave another exaggerated wink.

"Really?" Carrie's eyes popped at the implication, surprised that anyone could be so egotistical as to more or less pimp someone out on live television for personal gain. "No one is driving me! not in any sort!"The words scrambled out of her mouth with conviction. Carrie was grateful that Edge and Lita had chosen her for the job, but not grateful to the point of whoring herself out on their behalf. Kane wanted nothing to do with this situation, it was irritating him beyond his threshold, it seemed childish and more importantly it seemed like a huge waste of his time. without a word he made his way to the ropes.

 _'Women equal pain.'_ He repeated to himself. He did steal another glance back at Carrie, she reminded him of someone, it took a minute or so for him to put his finger on it. ' _Katie?'_ Both pleasant and tragic memories flashed in his brain. He shook his head, trying to bury those memories where they belonged as he attempted to make his exit.

"Like it or not Kane, because I knew you'd make this difficult. For the next two months she's with you. It's in writing" Edge added. Kane stopped dead in his tracks, let out a frustrated sigh, turned, took Carrie roughly by the wrist and with haste they left.

"Good luck you two!" Edge waved goodbye at the pair, Carrie struggling to keep up with Kane's long and angry strides.

"Sorry." Carrie muttered as they made their way to Mr. McMahon's office, she didn't know why exactly she was apologizing but she felt compelled to anyway. _'What else am I supposed to say? You're welcome! I've obviously rained on his parade.'_ She looked up as the tempo changed, Kane paused only for a moment. Did he want her to be sorry? It was Edge's fault not hers. She hadn't done anything to him.

' _Yet'_ He reassured himself. Kane just let out another frustrated sigh and resumed their walk. "Sit here." He pointed to a vacant chair outside the office. It was the first time he had spoken to her, she saw a glimmer of hope in the tone of his voice; it didn't sound disgusted by her presence like it had in the ring.

 _'Maybe I'm growing on him.'_ She smiled optimistically as she went and sat down. Kane's brow furrowed confused by her happy demeanor. Was she actually excited to be attached to a monster? _'She's just happy she gets to be on T.V'_ He made sure not to disillusion himself.

"Get me out of this!" Kane growled as whipped the door open and slammed it shut, the wood creaking at the force.

 _'Or maybe not.'_ Carrie rolled her eyes contemplating what she had gotten herself into. Wondering if she had made a mistake accepting the offer in the first place. As unease set in she dropped her chin into her palms.

"I can't change it Kane. Edge is the champion and he has some sway around here, have to keep the champion happy." Vince cringed watching as Kane's face moved uncomfortably close to his own, the monster's breath grew labored with frustration. "Listen, two months will be gone like that." Vince tried to calm Kane just enough for him to leave. It was glaringly apparent that it was taking all of Kane's restraint not to choke the fear stricken Vince with his own neck tie.

"Two months will be hell!" Kane spat. "Someone is going to pay for this!" Kane's tone grew threatening as if his body language hadn't already made his mindset crystal clear. He clenched his fists tight, he would gain control of this situation if he had to fight tooth and nail. He would not be a pawn in Edge's idiotic games.

"If you promise to leave my office this is what I can do for you, I'll line up a match between you and Edge next week. If you win, I'll cut the time in half, just one month." Vince bargained. "That's the best I can do." Kane momentarily relaxed, his knuckles were still tightened but he stepped a few feet back from the desk.

"And what do I do with . . . it" Kane angrily pointed to the door.

"This it has ears asshole!" Carried said loud enough for them to hear, it was her time to be fed up with the crashing and burning of Edge's masterminded plan. She stood up crossed her arms and left with a huff. _'A month? Why not give me a contract for a long weekend? No one cares about my opinion.'_

"Buy a muzzle?" Vince suggested with a shrug.

By the time Kane left the office Carrie was long gone. ' _She stormed off.'_ He stared at the empty chair. He wondered where she'd gone before asking himself a more startling question. ' _Why do I care? She's out of my hair for a minute at least.'_ For a moment he pictured her blue eyes, not in a gushing loving way, but how they were somewhat haunting, like she was watching him from wherever she was. Kane was growing paranoid. He decided to go back to the hotel; he could avoid her and all the thoughts in his head for the better part of a week. As he went to retrieve his things from the locker room he was met with a surprise. There on the bench was a sleeping Carrie. He walked across the room hoping his oafish form wouldn't wake her as his feet clopped against the floor. Hovering over her he was dazed. _'Why does she remind me of Katie? Is it her smile? Katie always smiled, even at me. She doesn't look like her.'_ He tilted his head. ' _Or does she?'_ Kane's memory of his ex lover was hazy, he had tried to bury them deep inside. He gave in to a suppressed curiosity, he touched her face as gently as his big mitt could. ' _She feels like Katie, fragile and soft.'_ He gave a small grin as a fleeting good memory flickered past. Was he finding Carrie attractive or just using her image to reminisce of better times? He couldn't tell. Carrie began to wake as she felt something touch her, it felt rough like sandpaper but moved softly as not to agitate her. As she became fully aware she whipped herself up, not knowing who or what was around her. She felt startled and as she snapped up she wavered and ungracefully fell to the floor face first.

"Ok ow." Carrie rubbed her stinging nose, looking up she saw a perplexed Kane towering above her. "Sorry." She stood dusting herself off as she let out a lingering yawn. "It was a long trip from Oregon and I was really tired. I couldn't find my friends and consequently my ride, honestly I probably don't want to find my friends right now who knows what they've gotten themselves into . . . but anyway you're the only person i know here . . . kind of-" Carrie rambled on till Kane finally cut her off.

"What about Edge and Lita?" Kane sneered. _'She's a yapper too.'_ His ears hurt just trying to keep up with her.

"They're always um you know . . . preoccupied . . .it's like they're battling to suck each other's face off. It's super awkward and kind of creepy so I've been trying to keep my distance." Carrie shuddered. Kane shrugged, he could commiserate with that sentiment.

"Are you scared of me?" Kane asked as if they weren't in the middle of a completely different conversation.

"Yes." She smiled at him.

 _'Again with that smile'_ It made Kane oddly uncomfortable, in the sense that it seemed both genuine and false at the same time. It also had a surprising calming effect, calm was not an emotion he was accustomed to.

"But don't take it personal I find most people scary. I guess you could say I have a people phobia. . . Lizzie told me it once . . . Arocno . . . Agro . . .Anthrophobia . . . I think that's it!" She gave an uneasy laugh. Kane decided in that moment he'd take this whole matter in his own hands; he'd scare her away, all the way back to Oregon, smile and all.

"You're right to be." He used his imposing presence to back her into a wall, he pinned her against it, his paw like hands dug into her shoulders.

"Yeah?" With nowhere to go she had to stand her ground. No one would push her around, not Edge not Mr. McMahon and not Kane, at least that's what she was trying to convince herself.

"People, Carrie, are hell! But there's something worse then people." His eyes seemed cold and distant, glossed over with malice.

"And what's that?" Carrie winced her shoulders began to ache under the large man's vice like grip.

"Monsters. They're real Carrie! You're looking at the worst one, the biggest demon of them all, in the flesh. It's best to stay OUT OF MY WAY before something bad happens." He loosened his grip only to give her a shove against the wall. The back of her head bounced against the surface like a tennis ball, scrambling her brains she fell to knees. He hadn't meant to push her that hard, he hadn't meant to really hurt her; But monsters rarely know their own strength and it's even more rare for them to be able to control it. Carrie just knelt in that position as she rubbed her shoulders, Kane could see red marks where he had squeezed her. He looked down at his hands and then back at what they had done. _'Maybe I deserve to get hurt. Receive the pain that women cause me. Monsters deserve the punishment they get.'_ One of the many negative voices in his mind spoke up, his hands rose to his head as he tried to hold it together. _'But this is what I wanted. She's scared now. She'll run for sure.'_ "Carrie I-" Their eyes met and Kane saw something in Carries bewitching eyes that he wasn't expecting. They were hurt, but defiant, and that defiance made his stomach sink. _'It didn't work'_ he ran a hand over his head and without another word he just left.


	2. Be afriad be very afraid

"You look worse than usual." Janet chuckled and pointed at Carrie as the diva reunited with her friends. She looked haggard, her nose still swollen, she continued to rub her sore shoulders. To add to her look her hair was disheveled, clothes wrinkled and her eyes were red, due to continued fatigue.

"Your concern for my well being is astounding as always." Carrie scoffed, followed by a groan as she lifted and dropped her shoulder's. _'What a grip on that guy.'_

"Well what happened?" Lizzie scanned her friend over, assessing the superficial damage.

"Oh don't tell me you got your ass beat in the ring for the first time and I missed it." Janet's voice had a hint of genuine disappointment.

"Words of wisdom: If a three hundred twenty six pound wrestler ever wants you to be afraid of him . . . do it." Carrie let out an exhausted breath. _'This night is not going how I expected it to.'_ She looked up at the ceiling staring at the tiles. ' _When does it ever Carrie? When does it ever?'_ She did her best to replace discomfort with an aloof smile when her eyes drifted from the ceiling back to her friends. There in front of her stood her three best friends, they had all gone out of there way, traveled miles with her to give their own brand of support however snarky and sarcastic it may have seemed. ' _Just to see me sent packing. How am I going to break it to them, that all this had been for little to nothing?'_ She opened her mouth to speak but her friend Sidney beat her to the chase.

"Afraid of him? Carrie I got to say I'm afraid of this guy for you." Sidney chimed in with his two cents. Sidney was less worried about Carrie's tenure so much as her safety. Sidney was more so a brother than a friend to her, they lived under the same roof since middle school, so that big brother mentality Sidney felt was ingrained into him. He, Janet and Lizzie had expected Carrie to get bruised up in the ring, she wasn't foreign to taking on as much pain as she delivered during matches; Carrie had hobbled home looking tens of times worse then she did at the current moment but this seemed different. This was not in the spirit of competition this was her getting bullied around. ' _Freak thinks he's so tough.'_ Sidney made up his mind then and there that Kane was just another muscle headed tyrant trying to strong arm his way through life. _'Waste of space.'_ Sidney rolled his eyes.

"It's not his fault. If I was stuck in a room with me I'd push and claw my way out of there too." Carrie pulled at her collar trying to get a better look at her shoulder. ' _That's going to bruise for sure.'_ For someone in a full contact profession Carrie was not exactly built for it, the poor girl bruised like a peach. What she lacked in physical prowess she made up for in tenacity, every inch of her delicate skin could be bruised but she would stand back up all the same. That attribute was both her major strength and her biggest fault.

"Cheese and Crackers!" Lizzie's eyes widened she reached out and touched the mark on Carrie's skin.

"Damn Carrie, he really wanted you to get the hell out of there." Janet stated with an empty chuckle, scratching her head. ' _The hell did you do woman?'_

"But of course you didn't listen." Sidney sighed. He could tell Carrie wasn't really all that hurt or all that upset, but still he'd be keeping an eye on that big red machine. It made Sidney uncomfortable that they had gotten in a fight the very first night. It made him even more uncomfortable that he was all but helpless to defend his friend. "Carrie maybe you're in over your head. I mean what if he snaps like this again and it's worse. This guy could seriously-"

"I'll take my chances. Plus it's only two months . . . or one month more than likely." Carrie rationalized bitterly. "But…" She stuck a finger in the air. "First thing first, I need some rest!" Carrie stated with authority, and punctuated with a yawn, it had been a long and exhausting day. _'Tomorrow will be better.'_ She propped a lax arm over Sidney's shoulder and plastered a lazy smile across her face.

"We'll drop you off at your hotel before-" Sidney hoped Carrie wouldn't snap at him for this change in plans but he knew Carrie too well, his hopes were denied.

"Drop me off?! You guys aren't staying with me?! You come all this way and-" Carrie's voice rose, it couldn't be a better tomorrow if today never ended.

"No… We were going to surprise you but . . . Janet _'Entertained'_ her way into jobs for us, something to do with sound boards. We're _'Interns'_ or some shit. Making sure mics work and prerecorded stuff plays, shit like that. And it's all hours before any of the real fun starts so we can hang with you while you're working. The crew is staying in a dumpy hotel a little ways away from where the talent stays." Sidney quickly filled Carrie in on all she had missed.

"Oh" Carrie replied softly. _'They've been busy little beavers behind my back._ ' She grinned at the prospect at having her three musketeers at her side. _'I suppose there is an upside to being young and carefree after all.'_

"Hey I don't like the tone of your voice Sidney! I never said I slept with anyone to get our jobs!"

"Internships" Lizzie pointed out.

"Whatever! You are all just jealous because I am a people person and you three are socially inept!" Janet folded her arms, mockingly insulted by the accusation.

"Aw sweetie you don't have to _'say'_ you slept around to get your job. Just know that we know, that you know, what ' _people person'_ is code for." Carrie joked.

"Still jealous." Janet mumbled with a smirk as they made their way to Sidney's car.

"Um . . . can I help you?" The petite woman behind the front desk asked nervously.

"Kane." The large man casting a shadow over her grunted. He was boiling mad, he had to get away from the root of his anger, away from people. As he looked down at the frightened woman, again he saw her. _'Katie'_ His mind was playing tricks on him, every girl he saw sent a reminder his way. _'What's going on?_ ' He gave his head a light shake. Looking again at the clerk all similarities seemed to have melted away.

"Yes here we are room 497. Sir should we expect Ms. Lories soon or-"

"What?!" He croaked, slamming his palms onto the countertop.

"I'll double check but I have your reservation here: Kane, Caroline Lories. one bed, two nights." She read what she had on file, glancing up from the screen she hoped anything she said was what he wanted to hear.

"I'm sure that weasel is having a big laugh at me! I bet we have reservations for the next two months. He won't be laughing when I snap his head straight from his body." Kane spat, imagining choking the very life out of Edge.

"Sir is there something wrong?" The woman asked the pointless question with caution. Kane grabbed both keys from her shaky hand.

"I don't like being laughed at." With that sorted he stormed off muttering curses to himself.

Carrie and her group walked over to the front desk, a far less threatening sight to the still rattled attendant. "Hello" Carrie gave a trademarked wave. "My name is Caroline Lories I should have a room here." She waited patiently for her key, letting a yawn slip by as a long minute passed. The woman behind the desk let out a gasp. "What?" Carrie's eyes read defeat all over them. _'I just want to go to sleep! Is that too much to ask?'_

"What she mess up this time?" Sidney leaned over the counter craning his neck to try and see the computer screen.

"Oh no everything is in order. Your friend has already checked in but he took your key as well. I don't exactly think he was expecting-"

"wait wait wait. Friend?" She gulped, she knew exactly where this was going. _'SHIT!'_

"So I'm guessing you didn't make these arrangements either? How odd. Well a mister . . . Kane checked in." She got no reaction from Carrie who stood there blinking stupefied. Thinking maybe there was a mix up the clerk tried to describe the man. "Very tall . . . pale . . . angry-" She was going to continue but she couldn't be heard over the wave of laughter.

"Shut up!" Carrie snapped at her oh so supportive friends.

"Ha! Carrie you're about to get your freak on with your very own freak!" Janet squealed at Carrie's visible discomfort.

"He's not a freak! And I am not tonight nor any night anytime soon having sex . . . with anyone!" Carrie informed the inhabitants of the lobby.

"Alright, no need to get all testy about it." Sidney put his hands up in surrender. "You can stay with-"

"Never have sex? Ever? With anyone? Seems a bit melodramatic don't you think?" Janet stated flatly. Carrie ignored the statement and turned her attention back to the desk.

"What room?" She sighed drained, completely forgetting the offer Sidney hadn't fully gotten out.

"497 miss. Have a nice stay." The woman stated hesitantly, everyone knew this was going to be no 'nice stay'.

"Thank you." She dragged her luggage with the last of her energy to the elevator. " Good night lovelies I must bid you adieu." She gave a bow as she passed through the doors. Her friends waved as if she was leaving on a cruise.

"I don't have a good feeling about this." Sidney turned to his companions.

"She'll be fine I'm sure. Now lets go . . . buy me food!" Janet tugged on Sidney's sleeve and with that they left, Sidney still staring at the elevator doors with every step. Janet had not quelled his worries.

 _'She'll call if she needs help.'_ He tried to reassure himself. _'Freak better know his place.'_ He finally left the building.

He just sat there weighing down the edge of the bed, head resting in his hands, his eyes clenched shut. ' _Women equal pain._ ' He tried to block images of Carrie and Katie from his whirling mind. His mantra was interrupted by a knock on the door. He hoped if he just ignored it she would just go away but he had no such luck. The knocking grew increasingly louder and persistent.

"Kane? I know you're in there! You can have the bed to yourself I just want a god damn room to sleep in! Hallways and dark alleys are beneath me." There was a hint of pleading in her voice as she pressed her face against the door. Kane stood but remained stationary next to the bed.

"Leave me alone!" He shouted at the closed door. _'What do I care what she does? Where she sleeps'_ But a twinge inside of him felt for her, a part of him beckoned to let her in.

"Kane I am really tired, I'm over being nice I'm about to burn this door down if I have to. The towering Inferno ain't got nothing on me! Now I'll ask- " The knocking did not subside, but the sound stopped as Kane whipped open the door.

"Don't joke about that!" He sneered, venom in his eyes as he blocked the entrance, she was no closer to getting inside than when there was a physical door in front of her.

"I've got five lighters and a deck of Ethanol soaked playing cards that says I was serious as a heart attack." Carrie nodded with confident smile. Kane looked at her with confusion, perplexed by the statement Carrie had so haphazardly thrown out. "Parlor trick . . . and a black hole of a purse, keep loosing my lighter. Let me just find em in my bag I . . . Do you ever wear a shirt?" Carrie snickered noticing just as in the arena Kane was currently shirtless.

"Do I disturb you?" He was used to his appearance making people uneasy even physically ill.

"You distract me that's for sure." She put out a hand and placed it on his pectoral. She could feel beneath her palm his heart rate rising, she pulled her hand back. "Sorry I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." She felt embarrassed. Kane just blinked puzzled, it had been a while since anyone had touched him without the intention to inflict damage.

 _'Distract her?'_ He was baffled by what she meant by that. "Parlor trick? Are you some kind of magician? I HATE magicians. Or are you some bratty arsonist?" He snorted stepping back returning to his perch on the bed, relenting, letting the tired girl in the space. _'I got no room to talk . . . what haven't I set on fire?_ ' He tried to rack his brain for something too taboo for him to ignite.

 _'Success!'_ Carried grinned as she entered, slumping in a chair in the corner. "Er not really either. I had wanted to . . . to be in a circus for a while, in my high school years, I have odd career aspirations I know. I mean I was good at what I did! I used to be able to do all that fancy fire eating stuff. Probably still could, haven't in a while. My schtick was killer though, downright beautiful. I was trying to be a badass be creative and unique . . . I was dumb and stupid but it was fun you know? " She nodded to point out she was done her winded statement, she was happy they were having a real conversation.

 _'Is that why they picked her? Did they think we had something in common? Fire?'_ Kane just stared at her blankly for a moment. "Fun?! All fire does is destroy everything in it's path causing destruction and pain! Pain isn't creative, scars aren't beautiful-"

"They can be! Fire is exactly what you said it's dangerous it's unstoppable, wild, colorful mesmerizing." Carrie grew nostalgic, she hadn't really done much with the element since back then in high school. Her dream for circus life had been short lived, a fickle phase, and she had lost interest for quite some time, only holding on to the easiest of pyrotechnical skills. Kane's frown deepened, repulsed at the way she talked about fire so whimsically.

 _'Flames. They ruined my life, took away everything!"_ Nostalgia was not as kind to him, he could feel the physical and emotional pain from years ago. "It can't be real, that dumb 'shtick' of yours?" He scoffed. _'She doesn't seem dense enough to play with fire like that. I don't see any scars"_ He scanned what part of her skin he could see, looking for burn marks. Only then he realized how invested in this conversation he had gotten, he tried to suppress it, he crashed backwards into the bed which squeaked beneath him looking up at the ceiling hoping Carrie would take the hint.

"How much of it do you think is real? No matter your answer you'd be right." Carrie would not allow herself to be brushed off so easily.

"What?" He lifted his head just a bit to look at her with confused eyes. Carrie walked over and sat next to him on the bed, cementing the fact that the conversation was not over.

"Everything around us is perception you know? Whatever you think is real, bam it's real. Whatever you think is bullshit is so … well to you at least." Carrie had read one too many philosophy books and it was showing. She also had a habit of not knowing when to stop talking, this was also becoming clear.

"Idiot. Then as far as I'm concerned you're not real." He scoffed at her backwards logic, but he had to admit listening to her nonsensical bullshit was a change to the dry silence he was accustomed to, her enthusiasm and confidence was endearing even to a monster like Kane.

"Yeah I guess." Carrie pouted feeling taking the jab personally. "But to me I think I'm real. I think therefore I am you know?" She would not so easily be deterred. _'We're getting somewhere. At least he's talking to me . . . sort of.'_ She was really trying to put her best foot forward. _'I'm no sucker! Can't fool me Kane! There's more to this guy then they give him credit for. I've only got a month or two to figure you out Kane. Challenge accepted!'_ Before she could get lost in her ideal illusions of the upcoming weeks Kane cut her down a peg.

"If everything is perception then why has my life been hell? Who would want to perceive my life!" Kane flared up for a moment.

"Can't answer that. I mean you can't change what other people do with their reality, but how it effects you, that's where the perception comes in. Maybe you hold onto this pain because you feel that you should? That you deserve it? I mean I think that you're being a-"

"Don't try to act like you know me! You know nothing about me, about my life about what I've gone through!" Kane sat up. _'What does she know about what I deserve? How does she know what my pain is like?'_

"I don't know a lot about you but I mean from what I do. . . like when you had your panic attack earlier-"

"Panic attack?" Kane had nothing to panic about, he was seven feet of muscle, he was top of the food chain.

"Today in the locker room when you went and got all dark and spooky, I could see veins pulsing. your adrenaline was on high, kind of seemed like a panic attack to me. To me that seems like you-"

"You think I'm crazy." Kane snorted. "Talking to me like some kind of head doctor."

"I didn't mean for it to come out that way. Plus like waiting for Godot says : We're all born mad, whose to say it doesn't stay with all of us one way or another." Carrie shrugged as though it was a compliment.

"Godot?" Kane shook his head. ' _Weird girl'_ "I wanted to scare you." He admitted, trying to prove he was in control of himself not a nutcase having panic attacks _. 'Who am I fooling.'_ Kane's head began to hurt between the riddles Carrie was speaking in and how hard he was trying to ignore the conversation as a whole with no luck, caused his mind to work in overdrive.

"It worked. I'm scared." Carrie nodded. _'If it makes these months easier on him I guess I can be afraid. It's not like I've made any progress, he really wants nothing to do with me. Challenge still stands, I just have to do it from a distance . . . a distance someone whose scared would be.'_ "Well goodnight." Carrie got off the bed and laid down on the floor resting her head on her luggage.

 _'What just happened?'_ Kane leaned over the edge of the bed looking down at the girl curled in a fetal position. _'She didn't let me finish. I wanted to scare her but I . . . I didn't mean to hurt her. And now she's angry with me? How is this happening? Have I become a pushover? Have I become soft? She's still not scared she was lying through her teeth. . . she's . . . I don't know what she is.'_ Kane groaned in frustration. _'Women equal pain. This is what I want, I want her to leave me alone.'_ He laid back down stiff as a board, not soon after his overworked ears perked to a new sound, snoring. _'She really was tired.'_ Kane on the other hand couldn't get to sleep, he tossed and turned, the day's events scrambling his thoughts. Finally he got out of the bed and stood over Carrie. ' _Ugh so vulnerable, idiot.'_ He thought she looked so fragile caccooned under a peacoat she had pulled over her. He felt compelled to aid the compliant girl. ' _Why?'_ He clenched his fists and let out a sigh he knew it would just bother him leaving her there, he wouldn't be able to get any rest. ' _I can't sleep with her laying out on the floor like that . . . I'll step on her in the morning.'_ He let out a hearty yawn. Bending down he lifted her cradling her in his big arms, careful not to wake her he placed her on the bed. Not sure what to do next he paced the floor. He was tired too and wanted to sleep on the bed but so close to her? _'Not going to let her inconvenience me.'_ He moved around to the other side of the bed, it creaked as he laid down as far away from Carrie as he could. ' _She can't hurt me in her sleep'_ He rationalized. Closing his eyes exhausted, a very much established headache. sleep quickly came over him, but rest was nowhere to be found as he saw Katie yet again.


	3. Know your place

"Kane you're driving too fast." Katie gave a drunken laugh.

"I . . .I got it." the wheel slipped and slid in his loose grasp.

"Slow down please!" Katie leaned over and kissed Kane on the shoulder. He lifted his arm and pulled Katie against his chest. He now only had one slack hand on the wheel. She was so warm, she was always warm, like a walking furnace. He saw her smile up at him. It amazed him that she didn't look at his masked face in fear and disgust, before Katie he had never experienced the feeling. She was one of a kind, no one could ever compare to her love for him. In his impaired state he had gotten distracted by his girlfriend, by the time he noticed they were swerving out of control it was too late. "Kane!" Katie let out a high pitched screech. He couldn't get control, their speed was too great, they began to careen off the road. "Kane!" She screamed again, clinging to him tight, her eyes clenched shut.

"Katie it'll be alright" He squeezed her to him as they braced for impact, hoping he could shield her from the brunt of the crash. They collided hard into a cluster of trees. For five or so minutes there was no movement from the vehicle, but eventually the sound of creaking metal could be heard in the dead of night. Kane was heaving all his weight to push the door open that had wrinkled inward. Eventually he muscled his way out. He was certain he had broken his one arm, an ankle and an assortment of bones in his face. "Katie?!" Kane reached in the wreck with his one good arm. "Katie?!" he finally found her, lifelessly contorted in the car. Quickly Kane grabbed her and pulled her from the mangled mess. "Katie?!" He called out her name a third time as he gingerly laid her on the ground she was limp and unresponsive. "Open your eyes, say something!" He shook her but nothing happened. He realized that she was no longer warm, she was uncharacteristically cold.

"Kane?" Her eyes fluttered open.

"You're alive!" He lifted her up and held her close to him trying to transfer some of his own heat to her, trying to force some his life into her fading body.

"Kane." She began to cough and sputter there was blood coming up. "I . . . I'm . . . Bleeding-" She grew paler still, growing colder, they both looked at her abdomen, her shirt was stained a damp maroon color.

"Just hold on Katie I'll get you to a hospital." He lifted her over his shoulder, limping his way back to the road.

"Kane." Katie murmured weakly, her head bobbing with each of Kane's uneven steps. "Kane just stop!" She coughed some more.

"This is all my fault." He didn't listen to her and continued to walk towards the road. He cursed himself as the pain surged through his body. With all his strength he couldn't protect the one person he cared about, he knew she was dying, there was so much blood, too much blood but he wouldn't give up on her, he wouldn't let her go, he simply couldn't allow himself to.

"It's alright." She whispered. "I forgive you." Katie smiled weakly. "Kane I love you. And I'm sorry." Those words stopped him in his tracks, he could hear the death rattle in her voice she had moments left and they both knew it.

"What are you sorry for? Katie I killed you!" They reached the road but there were no cars to be seen. Any fleeting hope of saving Katie flew off into the night, leaving Kane feeling useless and numb.

"I killed you too Kane. This . . . this is killing you. I don't want to leave you all alone again." She gasped for breath as she was laid down on the pavement. "But you'll be ok you'll get past this promise?"

"No. I should have known, I should have listened . . . I'm a monster I was bound to hurt you. I should have left you alone from the beginning. All I do is-"

"Kane I can't . . . I can't breath!" She was choking on her own blood.

"Kane! Kane! Wake up! Move your arm I can't breath!" Carrie was flailing like a fish out of water, Kane had rolled over in his sleep, his trunk like arm landed across Carries throat. Kane woke up from his dream in a panic, drenched is sweat.

"Katie!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, coming to his senses he quickly removed his arm. Carrie sat up gulping in as much air as possible, coughing and sputtering in the process.

"Who?" She massaged her throat as she spoke. _'He had a nightmare.'_ She could see the terror ridden look on Kane's face. ' _What gives a monster nightmares?'_

"None of your business." Kane rubbed some sweat from his brow. He didn't want to talk about it, he didn't want to think about it, he wanted it to just go away. He stared off in the distance collecting his thoughts, detached from his surroundings.

"Oh" Carrie nodded awkwardly. "Ok." She collapsed back down on the bed pulling the covers over her face and closed her eyes. ' _He doesn't want to talk about it, then he doesn't want to talk about it.'_ She felt no desire to press the issue. ' _I feel bad but there's not much I can do for him. He'd just push me away if I tried to get beyond that mean nasty shell.'_

"How can you possibly go back to sleep?" Kane finally came back to reality, stunned that Carrie was so ambivalent about being more or less choked out. _'Idiot doesn't take care of herself.'_ He just tilted his head at the mass of covers. _'Is she my responsibility? Am I supposed to take care of her?'_ He grew uneasy at the thought. _'Why? Why is it my job? If she wants to crash and burn-'_ The memories of the car crash flooded back, his fists clenched. _'Katie. What does this woman have to do with Katie?'_ relaxing one hand he reached out to touch her, to maybe feel Katie again but he stopped himself. _'She's not Katie.'_ His inner turmoil was interrupted by Carrie who was now stretching and squirming underneath the cover.

"Why? what time is it? Is the continental breakfast open? I'm mad craving some waffles." She yawned peaking her head into view. She was trying her best to ignore what had just transpired for the benefit of both of them.

"Why?! I nearly killed you Carrie!" Kane couldn't believe how quickly she had shrugged it off. Carrie's eyes lit up for a moment. "What?" Kane was taken aback. "What did I say? It finally sink in that you could've died?" He only grew more confused as he saw a smile roll over her face.

 _'Progress. You called me Carrie . . . not in a threatening way, you just . . . acknowledged me as a person.'_ "Nearly being the operative word here. What are the odds it will happen again so soon?" She tried to seem supportive _. 'What would be the reasoning behind blaming and berating him?_ ' It was her turn to be puzzled as she saw Kane's face go from confused and slightly concerned to irritated and angry.

"What is wrong with you?" He yanked the covers off of her. Kane was used to being blamed, being hated. Kane was the big bad wolf that just knocked everything in his path down without care or consequence, and here was Carrie who seemed to be actively overlooking that. _'She's being naive. She's going to get hurt.'_ His breath grew labored. _'Stop it! Why do I care? Women equal pain.'_ He couldn't decide what to make of all this, flip-flopping from hot to cold from concern to contempt. Kane could see Carrie trying to connect with him, harmless enough, but all the same Kane's inner demons and small scraps of human emotion were at war. "What do I have to do to scare you?! If you don't look out for yourself who will? No one can protect you from me! You'll turn out just like everyone else who gets close, you'll get burned!" Perhaps the war wasn't over but the battle had been won. _'I don't wan't anyone I don't need anyone, I don't need Carrie. Monsters are supposed to live in their lairs . . . alone. That's what I need, that's what has been working . . . Alone.'_ He slip a palm over his head, this was too much deep thinking for so early in the morning.

"I heard you the first thousand times!" Carrie stood out of bed. "I'm trying my damnedest alright? I'll be scared of you! I'm sorry! I just wanted you to like me that's all." Carrie was putting on her socks and shoes as she shouted. "Don't crucify me for trying alright? I'm not the scum of the earth or some bumbling fool because I was trying to befriend the person who is stuck with me for the next month or two!" Carrie huffed. ' _Two can play at this game. I won't just let you yell at me all day!'_

"Because you want me to throw the match." Kane felt like it had dawned on him.

"Excuse me? What?!" Carrie was at first just cranky from being woken up so abruptly, by this point she was genuinely insulted and angry.

"You think I'm some moron! You just want me to like you enough to lose next week on purpose so you're contract doesn't get shortened." Kane could see the hurt behind Carrie's eyes but he would not get played as a fool one woman right after another. _'I have to protect myself, women equal pain.'_ He wasn't sure if his accusation was true, but in his mind it was worth hurting Carrie's feelings for it to be out there that he would not let the wool be pulled over his eyes.

"You've got one thing right I think you're a moron!" She swung open the door to punctuate her aggravation.

"Where are you going?" Kane questioned as everything spiraled out of control.

"I'm running away scared just like you want Kane! Cause it's your way or the fucking highway! If you must know I'm going to get some waffles asshole!" She slammed the door behind her.

Kane rubbed his temples. Had he gotten it wrong? _'She's just as hot headed as me.'_ He stared over at the door she had whipped shut. As he sat dazed at the end of the bed he began to second guess some of the things he had said. _'Picking a fight with a monster? Still stupid, still naive, but she stood her ground. She didn't cave, if she truly was just trying to play me . . . she'd be here groveling, just like they all do.'_ Kane was used to people, intimidated or down right scared down at his feet begging for leniency, because they knew the pain that was coming their way. ' _Perception. She doesn't perceive me as a threat? What does she perceive me as? What is she seeing that I don't'_ He thought of the conversation they had the previous night. _'Is that why I'm seeing Katie? I'm perceiving some connection? Katie always saw something I could never see. What is it? What is so important that they put themselves in harms way? Why can't they leave me alone!_ ' Kane desperately needed some air, after haphazardly getting dressed he left the room in the direction of the lobby. He was about to leave when he saw in the dining area someone give Carrie a shove. _'Idiot what trouble did you get into now?'_ Insult aside Kane instinctively lumbered towards the confrontation.

"Hey newbie learn your place! It's not cool to not respect seniority!" Carlito pushed Carrie back a few steps nudging himself in line. Carrie bit her lip keeping her eye on the prize, staring down the waffles inches away as if they owed her money, no one was going to ruin this for her. _'Today will be a better day . . . didn't start off great, but waffles make up for a lot.'_ Carlito noticed her fixed gaze and simply picked up the plate, walking down the line, a smug smile lining his face.

"You're going to eat all 13 of those waffles?!" Carrie was already aggravated, her fuse was short and what was going to be her solace was walking away from her.

"I'm a growing boy! Do you want one?" He held out the tray. Carrie went to grab one but Carlito slapped her hand. "No magic words? How rude of you. Not cool" Carlito smirked watching Carrie's ears turn red in anger.

 _'What is this guy's problem?_ ' She didn't understand why everyone seemed to be so selfish and territorial. "Please may I have a waffle?" She questioned through grinding teeth. ' _Waffles . . . just keep thinking about the waffles.'_

"No I don't think so!" He turned around with all intentions to walk away victorious but was blocked by a human wall. Carlito was eye to chest with Kane. "I . . . hey big guy." He gave a nervous wave. This was the body language Kane was used to, one of fear and impending pain.

"You got a big mouth, I already have a headache and you're making it worse." Kane took a hold of Carlito's hair making the shorter man crane his neck upwards to see the angry and annoyed look etched on Kane's face.

"I did not mean to do that, I'm sorry-"

"Heard you across the building something about learning you place? You said it very loud Carlito. Was that directed to-"

"No no definitely not." Carlito shook his head best he could.

"Don't. Inturupt me." Kane had wanted to take a walk to calm his nerves, breath in some fresh air to bring down his rage but what was a wrong place wrong time wrong girl scenario for Carlito was a perfect release for Kane. "You should know yours by now. Your place that is. Or is that a lesson I need to reteach you?" Kane tugged harder at the quivering man's scalp.

"No no Kane you don't . . . Waffle?" Carlito held the plate up almost as a shield, there wasn't much more he could do to defend himself. Kane yanked the plate from his hands, inspected it for a minute, then passed to Carrie. "Apologize." He pointed at the girl all but drooling over her newly acquired breakfast food, her eyes brimming with anticipation.

"What to the ring rat? I thought you-"

"Maybe you didn't hear me." Releasing Carlito's hair Kane opted to lift him by the collar closer to his own face making sure not a word would go missed. "Apologize. I won't ask again, you even stutter I'll put you in your place hell I'll burry you there."

"Sorry my bad!" Carlito first spoke to Kane then turned best he could to Carrie after the monster nodded over in her direction. "I didn't mean to call you a ring rat I'm sure your an ok girl, plain, nothing out of the ordinary." Carlito gave Carrie the most obviously backhanded complement ever.

"You need to learn when to shut up." Kane tossed Carlito to the ground like a sack of potatoes looming over him for a minute before speaking again. "Take a good look at her face." He paused for Carlito's bruised head to take Carrie into view. "See where she is?" Kane paused waiting for a nod. "Above you, that's where she is. Know your place. If I have to waste my energy explaining it again I'll just beat it into your skull." With the final threat Kane stepped onto Carlito's sternum walking right over him, Carrie following behind.

"Kane! Hey Kane!" Carrie called after the giant striding out of the cafeteria. "Slow your roll!"

"What?" He stopped, he rolled his eyes at the sight he turned around to, Carrie chomping furiously on two waffles bunched together. "Before you think I came to your rescue I . . ." He didn't actually know why he had stuck his nose in her business. "I just don't like him." Kane shrugged. ' _Smug little bastard.'_ He truly did have distain for the 'Bad apple.'

"I can see that." Carrie laughed and even got a small smile out of Kane. "I'm still mad at you by the way." She spoke between bites. "But I-"

"Are you expecting an apology?" Kane stated flatly. _'I'll be hearing about this for two months at this rate.'_

"I don't think I could hold my breath that long." Carrie shook her head. "Anyway, what I was going to say was before I was rudely interrupted was-" She got a second crooked smirk from Kane. "You did have my back for whatever reason. It's only fair that you enjoy the fruits of you labour. I can only eat seven or so Waffles, that leaves six waffles without a home."

"You want me to eat breakfast with you?" Kane looked over at an empty table. "Seven waffles?" He saw that Carrie was on her third as they spoke.

"Or so. Waffles are a comfort food. I'm eating my feelings . . . and I got a lot of feelings."

"You gotta stop being so sensitive."

"You gotta stop being so mean!" Carrie paused to let out a sigh. "So how bout it? start fresh. Eat breakfast!"

"Fine." He shrugged and they walked over to the free table, the plate placed dead center.

"So I was thinking about it over the last fifteen minutes or so, I figured maybe we could aim lower."

"Huh?"

"Maybe I was asking too much of you to like me. You're not the first and won't be the last person not to like me. Sometimes I forget that my personality is . . . um what did they say . . . er abrasive, obnoxious annoying that I'm a freak who-"

"Who said that? Someone here?" Kane scanned the room, he still had frustration to spare and felt no qualms about releasing it on someone else. _'Won't apologize . . . But I owe her . . . something. No! No I owe her nothing.'_ He shook his head violently as he argued with himself.

"Not my point." She spoke loudly to pull Kane back to reality. "My point is I'm not your cup of tea I get it. Does that sting a little yeah but we can get past this. Like I said aim lower I'm not asking you to like me. Just . . . tolerate my presence. Doable? I meant what I said earlier if you're stuck with me, might as well not hate every move I make every step I take."

"You want me to tolerate your presence?" Kane repeated her request. ' _She doesn't think very highly of herself that she would settle for that.'_ He frowned. _'She's still smiling though.'_ He could tell this smile was hollow and forced, he knew better than anyone else when someone was hiding behind a mask.

"Fine" he shrugged. "I'll try." He nodded, he relented both to Carrie and his ever growing desire to let someone in.

"Yes!" She shouted triumphantly got up from the table and gave Kane a one armed hug. Kane out of reflex recoiled.

'Her skin.' For some reason every touch of her skin was electric. Carrie's smile wavered as she sat back down, her ego bruised slightly but it was quick on the rebound.

 _'What is she hiding?'_ Kane wasn't sure how he felt about this enigma of a girl, he knew she had grown on him ever so slightly in the short period of time, she wasn't put off by his wall but was determined to break it down. He didn't know if that's what he wanted, or worse yet he still had the sneaking suspicion it was a trap. His face soured at the thought. _'Don't feel like getting in that fight again. I don't know if I could contain myself a second time.'_ As vindictive and evil as he thought women to be, he didn't want to hurt Carrie.

"Eat! eat!" Carrie demanded her cheeks filled to excess with waffles. Kane laughed for the first time in a while he genuinely laughed. He allowed himself to enjoy the moment, he would cross the betrayal bridge when he got to it.


	4. Brawl for all

"So Kane?" Carrie had finally finished the last waffle she could force down her throat and could now focus her attention elsewhere.

"What?" Kane's eyes had been hopping from person to person in the dining area, he could tell they had all been starring at the pair. Seeing Kane in the daylight was a rare sight to behold in itself, let alone while sharing someone else's company.

"Kane?!" Carrie waved a hand in front of Kane's grimacing face. "Kane you can't ignore me forever!" Her voice grew louder as Kane continued to stare off into the crowd.

"I said what?!" He slammed his fists into the table, if everyone hadn't been staring before they'd be staring now and Kane was in no mood to be gawked at, he simply got up, an ominous creaking to his chair as he did so and began to walk away. Carrie hadn't followed, instead she went to fill a cup of coffee.

 _'Asshole!'_ She grimaced at how rude Kane had been, but eventually another feeling came over her, it was Carrie's turn to feel the heat of everyone's stares. "Can I help you?" She finally acknowledged her coworker's judging faces. Before she had the chance to hear any response there was a quick pull at the back of her shirt, her half full mug clanked against the floor.

"Ahhh!" Carrie shrieked, flailing to see who was now dragging her through the hotel lobby.

"Quiet idiot." Kane stated flatly as he continued to pull her. Then he heard something he wasn't expecting, laughter. He grew wide eyed as his hold was made difficult, not by squirming, but by Carrie's body rocking as she nearly doubled over in laughter. "What is wrong with you?" He pulled her vertical, back onto her feet before reaching the elevator.

"Nothing, absolutely dandy, traveling in style!" She folded her arms behind her head as she regained composure. "What?" Still red in the face from laughter she looked over at the puzzled monster.

"That's not the reaction I usually get." But the more he thought about it the more he realized, this wasn't a usually dragging of dead weight, normally he was pulling bruised and mangled bodies around the arena.

"Right. Terror, scared. You want me to scream so you can save face?"

"I don't need you to-"

"AHHHHHHHHH!" Carrie reached deep within her lungs to get out a long shrill cry. Kane's hands had clenched over his ears, the sound absolutely unbearable up close, he barely heard her when she spoke again. "Quick quick in the elevator." And with that Carrie's body went limp in an extreme trust fall type maneuver, Kane fumbled, only barely catching her. Looking up from Carrie he saw a bunch of startled faces, all waiting to see what the demon would do next.

 _'Saving face.'_ Kane rolled his eyes as he resumed dragging Carrie, pulling her into the elevator he slammed the button to their floor. "Are you out of your mind?"

"I thought I was helping." Carrie gave a haphazard shrug.

"Helping?" Kane ran a hand over his head not sure what else to say. _'And I thought I was unhinged.'_

"You want people to be scared of you and if they heard me laughing they-"

"I don't need help making people fear me." He leaned against the far wall of the elevator, creating a large noticeable gap between the two of them.

"Right." Carrie nodded, looking down at the floor trying to avoid what was surely an angry glare. Kane waited for her snappy comeback but none came, she just stood there like a scolded child. His body grew rigid as he found himself fighting the urge to move closer, to touch her, to feel her skin, he shook his head vehemently as he finally calmed the desire.

"What . . ." His breath had been caught in his throat, causing him to start over. "What were you going to ask me? Earlier?"

"Earlier when you were ignoring me?" Carrie finally looked up from the floor.

"If I heard you, it means I wasn't completely ignoring you." Kane was realizing Carrie would not relent,not pull any punches not for another two months, his one word answers and shrugs would not suffice, he actually had to think, had to talk, she was not letting him coast on creepy.

"Valid point." No longer pouting her smile threatened to reach her ears. _' Not ignoring me? Admit it Kane, I'm weaseling my way in there . . . just wait . . . you're not going to love me, but you're not going to hate me either!'_ A determination that had been chopped down earlier in the morning began to sprout back up.

"Carrie?" Kane nudged her with his elbow as the doors opened. Even the slightest touch, it would linger, it would make his pulse raise. _'Don't touch her, women equal pain! You can't touch her. You're a bull in a china shop or however that phrase goes, and her skin is-'_

"You ok?" As they made it to the hotel room she could see anxious look painted across Kane's face, it was obvious he was struggling with something.

"Dandy." His fists clenched as his vitals returned to normal. " I'll ask again." He tried to sound calm and nonthreatening but it was not an easy task. "What were you saying earlier?"

"I was going to ask-" She stopped to plop down on the bed the second the door opened. "What are your plans for today?"

"Going to the gym." He replied quickly.

"And then?"

"Eating lunch."

"And then?"

"Going back to the gym."

"And then?" Carrie leaned in to imply she wanted to hear something different.

"Eat dinner." Kane's face twitched as the repeated question began to get on his nerves.

"And then?" She was still not satisfied.

"Go to sleep . . . without any interruptions." He added the marginal demand.

"Wow." Carrie chuckled. "Now it all makes sense." She continued to laugh.

"What makes sense?" An eyebrow rose, he had no idea what she was getting at.

"Monster this . . . Monster that, you left the most important adjective out." She watched as Kane picked up his gym bag.

"Most important?"

"Party monster!" Carrie hopped up on the bed bouncing once or twice. "No T.V? no crosswords? Game of solitaire? Slurpee through a crazy straw nothing?" She jumped up and down again like an energetic child.

"Are you mocking me?" Kane's nose wrinkled, not appreciating Carrie's jests. For a moment Carrie contemplated her answer, returning to a seated position on the bed.

"Yes?" She wouldn't bother denying she was poking fun at the giant buzz kill.

"I don't like . . . being mocked." His hand gripped the door handle with a bone crushing force.

"How can you laugh at someone else if you can't laugh at yourself?" She tried to talk sense into the riled beast.

"Because no one will tell me I can't." He replied with a icy sense of confidence, with that established he left.

"I now understand they lyrics I take two steps forward I take two steps back on a much deeper level." She spoke aloud to herself as she crashed back on the bed and reached over for the remote. 

The sun had been down a few hours by the time Kane returned back to the hotel, to an empty room. _'Where'd she go?'_ He scanned the room from side to side, even taking a minute to look in the closet. _'She mentioned friends, why would she want to stick around here? Haven't given her a reason to stay.'_ He went over in his head the last day or so, how cold and irate he had been with her. _'I . . .'_ He looked down at his palms. _'I hurt her . . . I berated her. . . And she ran away what do I care?'_ He tried to brush off Carrie's absence. As his self reflection ended he saw something out of the corner of his eye, he walked over to the end table, dropping his bag to the floor he stared down at a half melted slurpee, crazy straw included. Next to the frozen drink was a now condensation covered notepad, some ink bled words on it. Taking a big gulp from the drink he winced as a brain freeze took hold of him. _'Bet she'd laugh her ass off at this.'_ He rubbed his forehead as he waited for the pain to subside before reading the note. _'Have a little fun . . . it won't kill you. P.S don't drink too fast - you're roommate / tormentor_ Caroline Lories _.'_ He rolled his eyes as sat on the bed. _'Women equal pain. Women equal pain._ ' He repeated over and over as he drank his frozen beverage. _'Ridiculous crazy straw.'_ He did have to admit maybe small changes to his routine wouldn't be so torturous. 

Sure enough Kane's hunch had been right, new city, new hotel, same reservations. He hadn't seen Carrie for a day and a half, and was curious if this was the new set up, he'd only have to see her once or twice a week. _'I did almost kill her._ ' A small piece of him was disappointed with this arrangement. _'This is what I want, I want to be alone!'_ The more he said it, the more taxing on his psyche it became, he didn't understand why he had to convince himself, why he had to remind himself that Carrie was nothing but trouble. With a swipe of the key he opened the door and almost bulled over the woman stuck in his head. "Carrie!" He felt her careen into his chest.

"Kane! Hi, thought you might've forgotten all about me!" She gave a wave before dipping below his arm limbo style. "I'll be back in a little while ok? I mean if you don't mind sharing the space." She wasn't sure if the other night had been a one time deal and hadn't yet figured out a way to bring it up without the two of them getting in another fight.

"Where are you going?" He put a hand on her shoulder to stop her from scampering away. "Where did you stay last night?" He found himself concerned about her well being. _'She doesn't take care of herself, she probably slept on a subway bench for all I know.'_

"I'm going for a walk." The moment quickly got awkward when his hand did not move. "Is that ok with you Kane?" He wasn't really listening, looking over Carrie's head Kane could see him.

"Stay here." Kane's voice seemed distant.

"Kane it was a rhetorical question." Carrie rolled her eyes as she tried to resume her stride, but his hand did not waver, instead of simply resting on Carrie's shoulder, now it held her in place. "Kane let me-" She stopped her statement and looked up, as the lights flickered. "The hell?" She squinted to try and see the man she finally noticed at the end of the hall. "Who is-" She took one step forward but Kane tugged her backwards pulling her to the ground as he forced her into the hotel room. "Ow! Kane I thought we were past this! What's the big-"

"Stay here. Lock the door and don't open it for anyone but me!" Kane growled, his face looked ghastly as the lights flickered again.

"Kane what's happen-" She couldn't get a sentence out. Kane wasn't great with words and didn't have time to spell it out, he had to keep it short and to the point.

"Stay here!" Kane slammed the door shut. _'I have enough trouble dealing with them separately, I can't let those two collide.'_ He waited to hear the door lock. ' _Finally she listens.'_ He was relieved to know he wouldn't have to keep tabs on Carrie's safety. _' Don't want him to touch her. Don't want him to get his filthy hands on her skin.'_ Kane would not let the man take away one of the few things that made him feel . . . anything. Kane began to distance himself from the door. "Messing with the fuse box? You're going to have to do better than that. I'm not afraid of the dark. And I'm sure as hell not afraid of you." Kane after a few long paces was eye to eye with the shadowy figure.

"You should be." A gloved hand bunched up and plowed into Kane's face. Kane recoiled a step or two before using that inertia to apply an audible uppercut. "I see you have a new woman." The voice perplexed him, the face he knew, it had changed slightly but it was unmistakable, but this voice he had no idea who this was, despite his best efforts he couldn't place it. Ignoring the statement Kane wrapped both hands around the man's neck and with brute force choked him into the corner. "What . . ." Air struggled to pass by Kane's hold. "What is her name?" The cornered man grappled to hook an arm under Kane's knee, scooping up the monster he slammed Kane into the floor. Carrie's eye was pressed against the peep hole, lights still on the fritz she couldn't see much but she could hear Kane groan in pain.

 _'What's happening? What do I do?'_ She glanced over at the phone contemplating calling the cops. As another thud emanated on the other side of the door she refocused her attention on the hallway. 

"Do you plan on losing a child with this one too?" The slugger took a jab a Kane's misfortune, he could see he hit a nerve, unfortunately for the man, Kane hit back with a big boot straight across the face. "Don't get the wrong idea Kane, I have no interest in making your woman my own. It's you I want to destroy, it's only fair I know the name of the collateral damage." Speaking through a nearly broken jaw made his words almost unintelligible, despite the fierce kick he quickly got to his feet and after a few sloppy steps, speared Kane into a wall. That was not nearly enough to put a now livid Kane away, taking the man's skull in his giant hands Kane squeezed his head like a lemon, large fingers digging into his temples.

"She's not my woman!" Kane finally willed himself off of the wall, with the power struggle leaning in Kane's favor and his hands still clenched tight like a bear trap he flung the man into the very same spot he had just escaped from.

"What is all this noise?! Not cool! I am trying to relax and-" Carlito had swung open his door, disturbed by the crashing sounds of the brawl, he immediately regretted that decision. Both giants paused and started advancing towards the nuisance, cold glares focusing on the now trembling onlooker. "N . . . Nevermind I'll leave you two . . ." Carlito didn't even finished just reentered the safety of his room and slammed the door shut.

 _'Idiot learned his lesson just in time.'_ Before could realize he was distracted it was too late the mystery man had capitalized lifting Kane into another scoop slam. Kane reeled in pain, his back had connected with the unforgiving floor, he was not used to being matched in brute force.

"You're right. Woman is the wrong word. A pet? Rescued from the pound. Lita always had a thing for strays didn't she?" The man looked down at Kane who despite being slammed into the ground still had a look of anger and aggression on his face, he wouldn't let the pain get to him. Though his attempt to get up was thwarted by a kick to the back of the neck. "I mean look at you." The man began to walk towards Kane's hotel room. "But I have to say Kane . . . I'm impressed." He spoke as he took step after slow step closer to the door.

 _'Impressed? What is he getting at? What does he think he's doing, turning his back on me, last mistake he'll make.'_ Kane dug his nails into the carpet as he pushed himself to his knees.

"It's been only what? Three days and you've already got a pet who listens to commands … sit . . . stay. Does she roll over yet?" He was now at the door. Kane was back on his feet his face contorted in anger and disgust at the derogatory statements. Labored breaths steamed from his nostrils like a raging bull.

 _'Who does he think he is?'_ Kane's shoulders rose and fell, with shortness of breath and a surge of madness. _'Playing mind games with me?'_

"No? Not yet? Does she speak? Lets see." A huge fist began to pound on the hotel door. Carrie let out a squeal of fright as the wood shook, she took six steps back stopping only when she bumped into the bed. Quickly she put her hands over her mouth trying to remain quiet, in a way remain hidden. She grew ever more concerned as the handle began to jiggle.

 _'Who is that? Where's Kane? Oh god I'm going to die here aren't I?"_ She began to panic. _'Anyone insane enough to pick a fight with Kane . . . probably has bodies buried under their porch. I don't want to be on Dateline!'_ She looked around the room for something to defend herself with, she had no intention of going out without a fight. 

"Hey!" Kane called out, the man turned around just long enough to be met with a furious clothesline. _' I won't let her pay for my sins. She stood up to me, if she try that bullshit with him, he'll crush her. Collateral damage.'_ Kane was not able to hide the fact that for whatever reason, a small soft spot had grown for Carrie, not from himself and not from the man he had forcefully laid out on the ground."'You think you can beat me? Break me? I am a monster, a machine I will burn you to a crisp!" _'I won't lose her to the pitiful likes of you!'_ Carrie had been the only person to give Kane the time of day in months, her hand being slightly forced was irrelevant. She was providing Kane with something he was more often than not deprived of, human contact, it had been meager and turbulent, but to Kane it was comparable to water in a drought, the smallest drop was still sustenance. He still hadn't made up his mind if he would push her away but he would be damned if he let this attacker take her from him. ' _I'll tear him to shreds, I'll decimate him, destroy him! I won't let him get to her. She has enough monsters to be scared of.'_ The whole time he had been thinking over his compulsion to protect Carrie he had been unleashing heavy punches and kicks to the man contorted on the floor. Kane paused to catch some breath as his foe tried to get to his feet. Both men stood winded in an odd sort of stale mate. In the same moment, they grabbed each other, in tandem after rocking hundreds of pounds, they threw one another, plowing their collective weight through Kane's hotel door, breaking it straight off it's hinges and sending it to the ground.

"Kane!" Carrie screeched out in horror, she could see how bruised and battered he was. She would not allow this to go on any further.

"Carrie, run!" He coughed out, pushing himself to be the first on his feet.

"Get out! You crazy bastard leave us alone!" Carrie took her bedside lamp and crashed it over the man trying to regain his bearings laid out in the doorway. Had there still been any life in those eyes, after that it was completely knocked out of him, he was unconscious. Kane still huffing and puffing took the man by his ankles and dragged him away. Kane with many spectators drug him all the way outside of the building, kicking him one more time. 

"Leave us . . . me-" Kane quickly corrected himself. "Leave me alone, before I get angry." Kane implied this was only a portion of his destructive ability. He slowly lumbered to the front desk. "That man . . ." Kane was completely out of breath. "That man was about to attack . . . my wife." He lied, had he said the two men had a heated grudge that spilled throughout the hotel he felt there'd be more questions, possibly some police presence. _'What a bother.'_ His body finally relaxed slightly. "Don't. Let him back in!" He made his point abundantly clear, the attendant nodded quickly.

"I'll call the police!"

"I don't care what you do, just keep him out! Or else I'll throw him out a second time, I can't promise he'll be in as good health." Kane rubbed an aching joint as he lurched his way back to the elevator. 

"If anyone asks . . . we're married." Kane only then realized how grandiose his lie had been. Looking from left to right he didn't see the woman he had so fiercely protected. "Carrie?" _'Did she run like I said?'_ He continued to scour the space. His search paused when he heard rapid breathing coming from a childish hiding spot. "Really?" He crouched down beside the bed, looking underneath he saw a curled up Carrie, eyes clenched shut, hands over her mouth. "Carrie!" He reached out his hand to assure her things were ok but at his touch Carrie bolted away scampering from under the bed to the other side of the hotel room.

"Ahhhh!" She grabbed the half of the lamp she still had with her. "Kane!" She let out a sigh of relief, when her hysteria caught up with reality, dropping the lighting fixture. "You're O.K!" She ran over to him hugging the sweaty man as tight as her arms would allow.

"Carrie." He just kept saying his name, he felt he had accomplished something, he had protected her. He didn't recoil from this hug, he had earned this sensation, but he didn't reciprocate either, his arms laying lifelessly at his sides. "It's over now, you can calm down." He looked down at Carrie who still seemed rattled

"Who was that guy?" Carrie looked around to make sure the lunatic was gone, then over at the door still lying awkwardly on the ground.

"A thief." Kane pulled away, lifting the door off the floor, inspecting the level of damage.

"He stole something from you?"

"Yes." Kane's nose wrinkled thinking of the robbery that had transpired.

"Does he have a death wish? Who would steal from you? What did he take?" Carrie couldn't fathom the thought of taking anything that belonged to Kane.

"My past." Kane voiced vapidly as he tried to wedge the door back in place. "Under the bed?" Kane tried to change the subject, he was just getting mad all over again.

"You keep telling me you're the worst monster of them all, where do you hide from someone who attacks that monster? What can protect you from that kind of crazy?"

"I can." To keep the door up straight he pressed the back of a chair against it then deposited himself in that seat, his arms folded like a bouncer, eyes staring blankly in the distance.

"You're going to-"

"Like you said you're already dealing with one monster, THE monster, you're already playing with fire, part of tolerating you is keeping you alive right?"

"Yeah I guess so." Carrie gave a half chuckle at the morbid statement.

"Then that's what I'll do." Kane gave a heavy shrug, wincing at his still aching back.

"So you're going sit there all night? Not going to sleep?"

"I couldn't sleep if I wanted to." Kane shook his head, both his body and mind were throbbing rest would not come easy.

"You want to put something on T.V? Keep you occupied?" Carrie was now sitting Indian style on the bed, she tossed the remote to the impromptu guard.

"Carrie?" Kane began to flip through the channels.

"Yeah?"

"You're afraid of him . . ." He paused to recollect the sheer look of terror on her face when the fight spilled over into the room. "But not of me . . ." He had a nagging question in his head but was unsure if he wanted ask it. "Why?" He relented to his curiosity.


	5. Death by friendship

"You're more of a man than people give you credit for, including yourself. Sure I'm afraid of the monster in you, but the man you are-"

"Man I am? What are you talking about? You've known me for a day or two and you know the kind of man I am?" Kane stood up from his chair. _'She's delusional.'_

" I didn't say what kind of man you are . . . just that you are one. Sure you're a dick but that doesn't make you a complete monster. Plus, this might blow you away Kane, it's year Two thousand and six, they have this thing called the internet, and you're on it. So yes I don't you on an emotional and intellectual level but I know more than you think. I know that you haven't been shown much kindness over the years, no one has done you any favors. You didn't have open that door for me the other night, you didn't have to talk to me this whole time . . . you gave me a chance when the world never gave you the same, that says something about-" Carrie's long winded speech was cut down dead in it's tracks.

"You threatened to burn my hotel room to the ground, you didn't give me much choice." Kane was quick to remind her. _'I put her in my bed, I've protected her . . . I've tolerated her.'_ In his mind Kane listed some of the things he had done for Carrie that had no necessity. _'Women equal pain. Why am I bending over backwards for this woman I barely know?'_ Kane's body language read defeat as he realized there was no going back now. Somehow this girl had snuck her way into his life, he could still put a stop to it but he could not go in reverse, she had left her mark. Kane was now stuck in this awkward limbo, half resenting and half enjoying Carrie's company.

"Annnnd . . . you forgave me! Would a monster do that? That's what friends do you know"

 _'Friends?'_ Kane mulled over the concept.

"They forgive each other when they blatantly threaten bodily harm!" Carrie could see she got the smallest of smirks from Kane. He rolled his eyes when in turn he saw the victorious look in Carrie's eyes.

 _'Lets not get ahead of ourselves. Friends just betray you in the end. I know you even less than you know me, what makes you any different from the rest Carrie?'_ His chin rested in his palm, he could feel an aching inside of him, he wanted Carrie to be different. Kane tried to push his desire aside, tried to forget all the mayhem that had just transpired, staring vapidly at the T.V screen.

"How can I make it up to you?" Carrie worried that Kane was shutting her out yet again. _'So close, we were so close to moving forward Kane!'_

"Make it up to me?" Against better judgement he glanced over at Carrie, he could see by the pained look upon her face that she did genuinely feel guilty about the way she had acted that first night. "You can stop looking at me like that!" Kane huffed staring back at the screen. _'How many times can I bark at her like that before she doesn't bark back?'_ After all this arguing with both Carrie and himself he began to imagine what it was going to feel like when eventually he really did push her away, the time was looming, he could feel it. _'Alone I'll be alone just like before.'_ Again that aching feeling racked him, he didn't want to be alone. _'Stop it! Stop it!'_ He tried again to suppress all those feelings, it was getting harder and harder to do, he was about to burst at the seams.

"Not good enough!" Carrie slammed a fist onto her thigh.

"What?" This time Kane did not turn to her.

"I threaten to kill you and in exchange you want me to change my expression? Dream big Kane! There's got to be something you want?!"

"Trust me you don't want me . . . to get what I really want." Kane's voice was cold and cryptic. _'If I got what I want . . . you'd never survive Carrie. That's why . . . I never get what I want. Women equal pain . . . but that doesn't mean they're incapable of feeling it themselves. You'll go down in flames with me Carrie and I DON'T want that.'_ He was growing numb.

"Well if you're going to be a sour puss about it I'll have to think of something for you. Let's see-"

"Stop it just stop it!" Kane boomed finally getting Carrie's full undivided attention, there'd be no more joking, no more sarcasm, no more optimistic words. "What I WANT is for you to leave me alone, that's what I've WANTED since the beginning!"

"I see . . ." Carrie nodded mulling over what she'd do next. "I'm trying here . . . I was trying. I was going to invite you to the fish hatchery with us but I'm not going to twist your arm. I'm not going to force someone who has some deep seeded hatred for me to-"

"Fish hatchery? Who the hell goes to fish hatcheries?" Kane was sure he had misheard her. _'Is this what she does to entertain herself when I'm not around? Watch fish spawn? Who is us?'_ The sheer ridiculousness of her plans momentarily took over the angry conversation.

"Well Sidney and them wanted to go to the zoo, but I don't do zoos so we're meeting in the middle with a fish hatchery. Give me a break there's not a lot to do in the middle of Idaho, they have a baked potato museum, there's not a lot going on. What does it matter to you any way?"

"And you decided on fish eggs over potatoes? You're a strange woman." He could feel it, this was the moment he had moments ago been dreading, this was the straw that broke the camel's back, he could see the underlying anger in Carrie's face, she was done being yelled at.

"You don't know anything about me!" Carrie retorted with one of Kane's previous statements, sending him back a step.

"Why don't you do zoos?" Kane knew it was a moot point but he continued on.

"If you must know. I'm convinced they can smell me." Carrie's arms were folded in a defensive stance.

"Smell you?" Kane couldn't help but scoff. _'She does have a certain smell to her.'_ He vaguely remembered it from laying next to her. _'But who is smelling her?'_

"Yeah. The lions the tigers the bears! They look at me like their sizing me up, ready to take a big bite. They can smell the fear. Something I'm sure you know all about!" Carrie was pulling no punches. _'I'm not that kinda girl . . . taking all this shit, caving to the asshole every time. Two can play this game . . .be a total dick! I let that happen once before, never again!'_

"Zoos aren't death traps." Kane didn't let it go, speaking quickly while trying not to let Carrie's jabs get to him. Kane remembered taking Katie to the zoo on one of their first dates, he had been the one that took some major convincing at that time. Zoos were one of the few types of establishments that held nothing but pleasant memories to him.

"Yeah maybe for you, huge oaf! You could fist fight the bear off! I . . . I don't want to go out there right now." She looked at the broken door wedged up haphazardly against the entrance as she abruptly changed the subject. "So let me stay the night and I'll be dust in the wind tomorrow. You'll have to bear my existence on show nights but those few hours aside you'll never have to see me again ok?" Those last words pierced through Kane.

 _'Never again.'_ He stared at her for a minute. _'Let her go. Women equal pain.'_ He tried to come to terms with the idea. _'I just told her what I want . . . to be alone, but-'_

"I'll even ask nicely, though you don't deserve it. Please let me stay the night, you can even have the bed I just can't . . . he's like the bears, he's waiting outside somewhere ready to pounce."

"Go to sleep." Kane shrugged. _'I want to be alone, but I also can't let him get to her, I'll protect her.'_ He made no move to the bed, just turned the T.V up louder.

"You're going to stay sitting like that all night?" Carrie didn't want to care but she also couldn't deny that she was concerned about the monster's well being. _'He got beat to hell he can't just stay up like this he should rest.'_ Bastard or not, he had protected her, she had to acknowledge that.

"I couldn't sleep if I wanted to." Kane shook his head. _'You hate me now, like everyone else, you're no different Carrie but I . . . still don't want you to feel that pain, not if I can help it.'_ He lamented over the fact he'd never feel her intoxicating skin again. ' _Neither will anyone else within my path.'_

"Fine suit yourself." Carrie walked to the bathroom to put on her Pjs. "I'll be the bigger person. . . Thanks." She slammed the door shut behind her. _'You didn't have to do this either Kane, could've just threw me out with the trash.'_ She leaned against the wall. _'You can't make up your mind can you? You want to be alone . . . but fight as you might, you don't hate me as much as you say.'_ She let out a sigh trying to calm herself. _'What am I going to do with you?'_ She didn't say anything when she passed by him on her way to the bed. _'At each other's throats like this. . . what will become of this?'_ She clamped her eyes shut forcing sleep to come over her. She'd think about it in the morning.

Kane sat there silently as the hours passed turning the T.V off he got lost in thought as the pace of Carrie's breathing soothed his aching head. He felt his eyelids getting heavy, he was tired and hurting but he was determined to stay awake, to stay vigilant. He made the mistake of looking over at Carrie, he couldn't pull his eyes away. _'I can't take this anymore. I can't tolerate her anymore.'_ Standing up he stood over the sleeping woman. _'I have to make a choice, make a move.'_ A large hand went down to Carrie's throat, indulging his now addiction to her skin. _'She'll make me . . . she's making me weak.'_ stocky fingers traced her windpipe. _'I don't know when, but she wants to use me for her own gain, I know she will, they always do. I've been down this road before, it only leads to pain. Her facade is cracking, she can't pretend to like me anymore.'_ Kane began to sweat, the stress getting to him emotionally and now physically.

 _ **'Hurt her before she hurts you.'**_ A voice Kane hadn't heard in years popped seemingly out of nowhere. _**'She plans on hurting you, Kane you know that don't you? That aside, you're not a good protector, you'd falter, you'd fail and when you're no longer useful she'll turn on you just like the others.'**_

 _'Shut up! I don't need your opinion!'_ Kane's body tensed.

' _ **All but Katie betrayed you. . . and you couldn't even hold onto her. What makes you so delusional Kane? What makes you think Carrie will beat the odds? Just get it over with, it will only hurt more the longer you wait.'**_ The voice tried to provoke Kane into action.

 _'I saved her, I protected her.'_ Kane's shaky hand rhythmically stroked Carrie's skin.

' _ **This time!'**_

'I have to do something, I can't live like this anymore! This is torture!' He was beginning to crack, his hand tightened around Carrie's throat. Her eyes sparked open, but he did not let go.

 _ **'You'll feel better after wards I swear. Everything will go back to normal, I'll leave you alone agin.'**_ That promise sent Kane over the edge. He squeezed his clutch harder as Carrie flailed under his hold, trying to pull him off, scratching punching all to no avail.

"I'm sorry Carrie." His fingers dug into her perfect skin. Kane could hear her gasping for air, still pointlessly attempting to fight back. He choked her for what seemed like an eternity but in a flash something changed. Kane let go, as he saw her skin turning a sickning grey, her lips a morbid blue he snatched his hand back, he had changed his mind. "I don't want to do this! I don't want to hurt her!" He took quick steps back and began to pace the floor holding his head in his hands. "Carrie don't . . . don't leave! I wont let the voices get to me! I won't hurt you again, he's wrong I can protect you, even from me!' Carrie hadn't moved since he let go. "Carrie?" He clenched his eyes shut fearing it was too late. _'What have I done?'_

When Kane finally opened his eyes he was seated in the chair, his blood was pumping furiously through his veins. _'Was it . . . was it a dream?'_ Had he conjured those actions in his sleep it had been a nightmare not a dream. Looking at his arm he saw no claw marks from Carrie's struggle. Sitting thinking over what seemed too real he didn't hear the voice. Kane stood, his legs feeling somewhat numb. Hesitantly he walked over to the bed. Looking down, her face looked normal, not discolored as the last time he had seen her. Pulling the covers down slightly he inspected her neck, no hand prints, no bruises. He still had to be sure though. "Carrie?" His voice was dry and wavering. She didn't move, she didn't wake. "Carrie?!" He shook her slightly.

"Kane just let me sleep a little longer! I'm a wicked bitch when I don't get enough sleep, you think I'm annoying now you have no idea." Giving a yawn her eyes fluttered open.

 _'She's alive!'_ Kane felt a wave of relief and even what some people might call joy flood over him. _'She's alive.'_ He couldn't believe it, finally he had gotten something he wanted.

"What?" Carrie yawned again, perplexed at the uncharacteristically pleased look on Kane's face.

"I had . . . I'm just . . ."

"Spit it out! What is it? Elated that I'm two steps from gone?" She rubbed her eyes knowing she was not going to get back to sleep.

"Get dressed." He decided not to tell her of the horrifying dream. _'I can't tell her . . . not now. She's already mad I can't risk losing her not after that.'_

"Really?" Her tone was one of annoyance as she sluggishly rose into a seated position. "Is it that imperative that I go? What is it? You have plans?"

"If you don't get dressed I'll take you as you are." He picked her up with ease and began to carry her to the bathroom. Placing her back on her feet he stood as a wall between her and anywhere else in the room.

"Ok Ok fine." For a second time she slammed the door shut.

"Why didn't you let me bring my stuff?" Carrie was still dazed and confused as she sat in Kane's car.

" Carrie I'm not-"

"You haven't even asked where my friends are staying." She watched as they left the parking lot, taking a swift left. "You gonna drop me off on the side of the road?" They got on the highway. Her voice was still sharp and heated as she asked questions that she gave Kane no time to answer.

"For being half a sleeping you're giving me a hell of an interrogation" He turned to her, still on a high from knowing he hadn't killed her, he wouldn't let her sour attitude get to him. "I'm not kicking you out . . . you can stay with me, you don't need to move your stuff, I don't need to know where your friends are."

"Are you crazy?" Carrie could not believe her ears. _'Not six hours ago he was yelling loud enough for everyone in the tristate area to hear that I was an unbearable burden. Now I can stay?'_

"Have you ever heard the phrase there are no stupid questions? You just proved them wrong. You've googled me, you know I'm not right in the head." He tapped a finger against his head before looking back at the road. _'I've been horrible to her from the beginning, I can't blame her for being so angry.'_

"Have you ever heard the phrase mixed messages? You're the definition." Carrie rubbed her temples trying to understand what was going on.

"Crazy people tend to be indecisive. I was riled up yesterday, and I have a short fuse. Coming down from the rage, after a fight, not my strong suit" He tried to explain his actions. _'I've made my choice, I want you around Carrie, I want a friend, I'll deal with the repercussions when they come . . . like a man.'_

"That makes sense I'll give you that . . . I don't plan on letting this go Kane. You really fucking hurt my feelings." Her face counteracted her words as her smile slowly crept back to it's resting place, Kane knew it was there to stay for better or for worse.

 _'Feelings are for fools.'_ His nose wrinkled at the notion. He was a monster, a machine, he had no use for feelings, though now it seemed they were unavoidable. ' _But if she wasn't a fool maybe I wouldn't be able to tolerate her. She is the way she is, I am the way I am and this is how we are . . . this is how we coexist and this won't change.'_

"So Kane?" She got his attention back, it was written all over his face another inner dialog was taking place. _'What's going on in that messed up head of his? Maybe we wouldn't fight as much if he just opened up a little bit.'_

"Huh?" Kane noticed he was making headway, she was at least talking to him now, not snapping in distain.

"Where ARE we going?" It was early morning or at least to Carrie it was, and she was confused as to what was so important she couldn't sleep in.

"Don't worry about it, you'll know it when we get there." Kane felt he had to do something for her, he had to make up for what he had done to her both in reality and in his mind.

"Kane I don't like surprises. I knocked my friend Glenn's front tooth out when he jumped out at me during a surprise party fiasco!"

"Punched his tooth out?" Kane was taken back by the prospect of brute violence coming out of Carrie.

"Straight sucker punch to the face." She mimicked the motion with a strike to the air. "There was blood . . . really dampened the party atmosphere." They both chuckled at the statement. "He had to go to the dentist like five times."

"I'm not worried." Kane shook his head, a smirk on his face.

"No?"

"You'd have a hard enough time just reaching my face with a fist, let alone sucker punching a tooth out."

"Mixed in with all your bullshit you've been making some solid points. Still don't like surprises." She tried to get the information out of Kane.

"Still not telling you. Will you shut up if I get you a slurpee before we get there?" Kane tried to bribe her into compliance.

"A slurpee at six thirty at the morning? Sold!" Carrie's first meek smile grew to a full fledged grin.

"Oh fuck to the no!" Carrie locked her car door, and began to sink into her seat when she realized where they finally stopped. "Is this your idea of some sick joke?" Carrie could see out the window the sign for Yellowstone Bear world. "You must be out your goddamn mind if you think I am stepping one foot in there!"

"You'll be fine relax." Kane laughed, he had not expected such a reaction from her. "You can even feed the bears." He had seen the brochure in the lobby of the hotel and after hearing of Carrie's fears he couldn't help himself.

"Yeah my flesh and bones! You're trying to get me killed aren't you?"

"You'll forgive me." Stepping out of the car Kane unlocked the doors and forcefully pulled Carrie from her hiding position. When she made no attempt to walk he lifted her up carrying her over his shoulder.

"Forgive you? Are you kidding me this is just cruel!"

"That's what friends do remember? Forgive each other when they threaten bodily harm?"

"Loops hole, touche. Put me down Kane I can't exactly run away" With hesitation she followed him to the entrance.

"Don't worry if I see a bear attempting to eat you I have no problem tombstoning wildlife."

"Sure . . . that sounds reasonable . . . tombstoning wildlife." Carrie muttered to herself as they walked in.

"There are my friends! Hey Sidney, Janet, Lizzie you'll never guess where I just was!" Returning to the hotel she rolled down the window, waving feverishly through the crack.

"Carrie you filthy cunt! Making us wait twenty minutes outside like a bunch of idiots where the fuck have you been?" A visibly annoyed man shouted back to her as the car came to a stop.

"What did he call you?" Kane and Carrie had surprisingly had a good time, both actually enjoying themselves, no arguments no injuries, both returning in one piece. Regardless of all that on a dime Kane's demeanor changed. _'Who the hell does he think he is?!'_

"If I heard right . . . a filthy cunt." Carrie shrugged, she had expected such a greeting.

"Stay here." Kane growled as he started to open the door with all intentions of approaching this Sidney person.

"Whoa Whoa hold your horses, it's alright I'll call him worse by the time the day is through." She put a hand on Kane's chest to restrain him, Carrie could feel his labored breathing and tightened muscles.

 _'Quick on the defense dude, but you're going to have to get used to them.'_ Carrie began to dread the introductions. "Last chance to come to the fish hatchery with us." Carrie offered though she assumed she knew the answer.

"I'm not going to some salmon sperm bank." Kane quickly shut her down.

"Hatchery." Carrie corrected him.

"Same difference. I've had enough tourist attractions for one day I should be at the gym anyway. I'll see you when you get back." Kane shrugged, the entire tour of the reserve he had been gawked at, he sucked it up on Carrie's behalf but he had no desire to endure more. "Tell your friend to watch his mouth." He glared at Sidney as they both exited the car.

"Ok . . . Well I'll see you later." Carrie waved as Kane walked to the hotel entrance. "I'll bring back some dinner ok?" She shouted as he moved farther away.

"Just not fish." Kane not turning around waved back at her.

"So that's him." Sidney watched the giant disappear through the doors. "Scary looking motherfucker." He hadn't let go that Kane had put his hands on Carrie that first night.

"That's him, he's not so bad . . . all the time." Carrie had a content smile on her face.

"Where'd you get the teddy bear?" Lizzie noticed a stuffed animal wrapped in Carrie's arms.

"Money doesn't buy happiness but it helps buy forgiveness." She looked down at the fuzzy brown bear. _'A fresh start . . . that's where we're at now. Lets hope it goes smother this time.'_ Grinning she had a feeling things were looking up for her and Kane's friendship.


	6. Useless

"So explain to me, why you have to go out there? You're not part of the match are you?" Lizzie questioned as they weaved through a maze of hallways. Lizzie didn't pretend to know much if anything about wrestling, she had never gone to one of Carrie's indie events, just the thought of blood made her queasy. A week had passed since Carrie's debut, but she hadn't shed much light on what her job entailed, so her friends were left in the dark, Lizzie the most so.  
"Because as things stand now, eighty percent of my job is going wherever Kane goes. Stand at ring side, cheer him on, make sure his opponents fight fair that sort of thing." Carrie was doing her best to stay optimistic, trying to believe that she could in one way or another be useful to the big red machine. _'He doesn't need much help, if there's something Kane can't handle what are the odds I can? I was sent here to do a job, and I have to do my best, I'll figure out something I'm sure of it.'_ She continued to try and convince herself.  
"Kane has you to cheer him on? Miss positivity? Oh he's screwed, most completely screwed." Sidney laughed at his friend's expense.  
"Hey! I am a ray of sunshine on a cloudy-" As they rounded the corner a large palm grabbed Carrie's shoulder. She turned, looking upwards to see his towel topped head. Kane's large frame loomed above the group requiring them to tilt her head back to see his stoic face. Carrie still hadn't gotten completely used to his Goliath like size.  
"Carrie don't come to the ring tonight." Kane stated coldly.

"What?" Carrie's smile dipped for a second but as it always did it crept back up. "I know you're still mad at me for eating the last of the fudge I got you at that stupid Bear world. I couldn't help it though I eat when I'm stressed!"  
"I still can't believe you went there. I've tried to take you to almost every zoo on the west coast and you wouldn't budge, this bully comes along and-"  
"What did you call me?" Kane backed Sidney into a wall.  
"I called you a bully." Sidney's tone wavered, his confidence fleeting as Kane's shadow engulfed him. "I saw how Carrie looked last week, you wanted to scare her off and you used your freakish strength to push someone a third of your size around." Sidney's compulsion to stick up for his friend overrode his better judgement.

"You're saying these things . . . like I should care about your opinion. . . I don't. Throwing around people smaller than me . . ." Kane gave Sidney a shove of his own. "Is my job." He contemplated truly showing what he was capable of but he decided against it. _'There must be something in the water up in Oregon, don't know when to keep their mouths shut. Carrie I can deal with, but this elf . . . Sidney right? He's rubbed me the wrong way since day one. He reminds me of that Caribbean idiot . . . doesn't know his place.'_ Kane scoffed, once he felt content that he had established himself as the alpha male in this scenario he took a few steps back.

"Ok testosterone much!" Carrie clapped her hands together to break the awkward silence. "Back to my original point! I Know you're mad Kane but-"  
"I'm not mad I-"  
"You sound mad." Janet who had been standing there silently put in her two cents. Though she had a point, Kane both sounded and looked angry, once he faced her with said mad look she retracted her statement. "Nevermind go on." She put her hands up in a sign of surrender.  
"I don't need any distractions." He spoke slowly as his eyes traveled over the group eventually landing on Carrie. _'What if she helps Edge? This match does determine how long her contract will be. I'd swallow shards of glass before I let that happen to me again. I won't let that hippie headed buffoon conspire against me and win.'_ His eyes grew more and more resentful as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

"Kane you're being unreasonable! I can carry my own weight, how do you expect me to fuck up standing outside the ring?!" As the words left her mouth it clicked with her what Kane was thinking, her eyes popped open with epiphany then softened into sympathy. _'He thinks no one is on his side, not even me. He thinks just like everyone else I'm out to get him.'_ She let out a deep sigh, calming her tone. "Kane I know what you're thinking and-"  
"No. You don't." He barely knew what he was thinking about, his mind was swirling. _'She's trying so hard to make it work but if I let her come with me . . . if she helps him . . . If Edge hurts her . . . If I hurt her.'_ His breath picked up as he remembered how he had unintentionally hurt Lita, leading to catastrophe. _'Women make things so complicated. It was so much easier before, just bash skulls and leave'_ A gloved palm reached up to his forehead.  
"Kane trust me I-" Again Carrie was cut off.  
"I don't trust anyone." He began to walk away from the group. "And this isn't a discussion, don't come to my match." Kane knew he was hurting her feelings, but it was better than one of them getting hurt on a more physical level. Part of him also knew the chances of her listening to him hovered around slim to none, but he had to try, he wanted to preserve things as they were. _'She wont let this go anytime soon.'_ He winced contemplating the argument that was waiting back in the hotel. To Kane that prospect was worth it, he felt he could hold on to his friendship with Carrie, as long as no one else interfered. Kane was a monster, Carrie was unrelentingly stubborn, which led to inevitable fighting. They matched each other step for step, eventually cooling each other off and fizzling out the fights, that's why their friendship would work, would last.

"Bully." Sidney spat at the retreating monster.  
"You keep opening your mouth." Kane turned around taking long strides to meet Sidney. _'If he keeps plowing that bullshit in Carrie's head she'll start to believe it. I don't care how tight of friends they are he's not ripping her away from me.'_ Kane leaned down to face Sidney eye to eye. "You know we could split hairs on weather or not I'm a bully, but I don't have the time, or the patience. I'll just cut to the chase, I don't like the sound of your voice, and when I don't like something I get rid of it." He grabbed Sidney by the throat.  
"Kane, bring it down a notch or two ok? You're not really winning any points for your not bully case." Carrie pulled at Kane's thick log like arm. "Please let him go." Carrie was very much worried Kane would plow Sidney's less than built body straight through the wall behind him. Kane grimaced, first ignoring Carrie as he lifted Sidney off his feet. Once Kane turned and saw Carrie overcome with concern he dropped the smaller man.  
"Happy?" Kane spoke to Carrie while looking down at the man coughing on the floor.  
"Fucking elated." Sidney wheezed.  
"What did I just say?" Kane went to pick Sidney up again, but this time Carrie wormed her way between the two.  
"Ok Ok you made your point! Sidney if you say one more word I swear to IHOP I'll beat you down before Kane gets to you!" She turned around to scold her friend, before turning back to Kane. "Look I'm sorry Sidney called you a bully but you can't fly off the handle like this every time-"  
"I don't care what he calls me. You've heard what they say about me, I'm a freak, a monster, a demon, grotesque . . . the list goes on Carrie-"  
"Maybe that's because-" Sidney finally back on his feet went to speak only for Carrie to turn to him and punch him square in the stomach, knocking the air straight out of his lungs.  
"No one is listening! Sidney shut the fuck up! Kane I'm not really asking you if I can come to ring side, I'm telling you!" Carrie ended with a frustrated sigh.  
"Is that right?" Kane looked over the rag tag group one more time. _'Nothing but trouble.'_ He scowled at Sidney who was now rubbing his belly. _'At least I know it's not just me she flips on.'_ He gave a quick smirk. _'But still can I trust her?'_  
"You bet your black boots it is!" Carrie stated with authority, a confident smile across her face.  
 _'I guess I don't have much choice.'_ Kane's nose wrinkled in displeasure and without another word he walked off.  
"That could've gone better." Carrie rolled her eyes, letting out a both relieved and frustrated sigh glad the confrontation was over, upset nothing had gotten accomplished.  
"Don't worry, he's not mad." Janet successfully got a laugh from the group as they too resumed their walk.

"Tick Tock Tick Tock" A tap on Kane's shoulder caused him to turn around.  
"Haven't you learned your lesson yet?" Kane rose a fist to hit the man who had attacked in the hallway days ago. To say Kane wasn't in the mood was a vast understatement.  
"I could ask you the same question." Was the only response, no flinching, no back step, the man continued to just stare unwaveringly at Kane.  
"What?" Kane's fist did not drop but he paused, leaving it lingering in the air.  
"I've been watching you Kane. The old you would've left that man thrashed and mangled on the floor. Instead you left him with a warning, to win points with your new lap dog. You should know by now women don't bring happiness, more importantly you don't deserve happiness." This man struck the one nerve he knew he could continue to hit, Kane had no friends, no currently close family, no concern about physical harm, but he had one thing, all he had was Carrie.

 _'Lap dog? Why is he going on about that? Why does he keep taking jabs at Carrie? What Lesson?'_ He didn't voice those questions, because truly it didn't matter, much like Sidney's this man's opinion meant nothing to Kane. He just smirked, causing the man to cock his head to the side in confusion. "It's a misconception people have been getting lately, that they have me all figured out. I'll show you what I really am, I plan on decimating Edge tonight, then she'll be out of my way in two weeks. You don't know what makes me happy, I'll clear up any doubt, I'll show you what really makes me happy . . . the sound of broken bones . . . of agony . . . of fear. "

"You're fooling yourself Kane."  
"What?" Kane was not a man of many words and it was showing.  
"Like I said I've been watching you. Not just in the arenas, all over, everywhere you go. For something you cant stand you sure seem to spend a lot of time with it."  
 _'It?'_ Kane had heard enough, and with a heavy grunt Kane swung a sweeping clothesline at the man who was trying hard to get in his head. Looking down Kane was somewhat surprised at the the haste of which the laid out man was getting to his feet. Confusion lead to anticipation as Kane gave a crooked smile. _'Good get up. THIS is what makes me happy.'_ Once at his level Kane struck the man down again, this time with a heavy right hand.  
"Last night." The man groaned, it was taking him considerably longer to gather his bearings after the second blow, he had to buy himself some time. "Last night the two of you sat outside the lobby for two hours and nineteen minutes, I counted. What could you two possibly have to talk about tell me Kane what could it possibly have in common with the monster?" He had stunned Kane for long enough to get to his feet once more.

 _'He's not bluffing. He really is watching. From where?'_ Kane tried to remember if he had seen anyone looming about. He couldn't imagine missing someone of equal to his own stature. In his defense Kane hadn't been paying much attention to the surroundings the previous night. It had taken all his concentration just to follow Carrie as she went on and on about everything and anything, trying to keep up as well as succeed at producing small talk of his own. Had she not looked at him expecting such he would have been content to just listen to her ramble on, it seemed to come effortlessly to her v.s Kane in which every word was an awkward struggle. Despite Kane's stiff conversation skills it didn't seem to have phased Carrie at all, she had been patient, encouraging even glad. To not be engulfed in silence, to not be pushed into barking out violent ultimatums, had been a change Kane subconsciously welcomed.

While reminiscing about those hours Kane was jolted back to reality by a strong slap to the face, the contact emitted a sound reminiscent of a cracking whip. "Can't say I appreciate you using all your free time to stalk me." Kane tried to seem nonchalant as he rubbed the red mark appearing across his pale skin. Inside he was fuming, he did not like being the prey one bit. "What is it exactly that you want?"  
"Just a few things." At this Kane waited less than patiently to hear requests he was sure he had heard time and time before. Kane's muscles were tense, at any moment he was ready to snap.  
 _'Who does he think he is? Trying to boss ME around.'_ Both fists balled up. That was the million dollar question though, who was this man.

"Unfortunately the first thing I want you can't give it can only be taken."  
 _'The hell is he talking about? Who is he the riddler?'_ Kane had no tolerance for play on words, Kane went to grab the man's throat but stopped once he spoke again.  
"The wrath filled demon inside of you has been subdued Kane! I need him back, I need him to make me famous!" Those words sounded familiar but Kane gave them little to no thought.  
"I don't have time for this." Kane snorted as he turned his back and began heading in the way of the curtain. _'There's no reasoning with crazy that's one thing I know. And I'm not one for reasoning in the first place.'_ Kane tried to lower the tension his body was stuck in, at this rate he would strain something while pummeling Edge into soup.  
"It's been replaced . . . by another one of the seven deadly sins, lust!" The man had succeeded at stoping Kane's movements, grabbing his attention once again, though Kane still refused to turn around. "Your lust for the fairer sex has distracted you. To get what I want it's as simple as eliminating my competition." The man gave what seemed to be a light hearted shrug.  
"Trust me when I tell you." Kane turned his head to face the man still waiting for him. "I haven't lost my wrath. You love watching me so much? Watch the wrath I unleash on Edge."  
"I'll be waiting." The man nodded as Kane walked out of view.

"Why am I not surprised to see you here?" Kane's flat always irritated tone reached Carrie's ears. As she looked up Kane saw a look he hadn't quite expected, apprehension. Carrie was rocking on the balls of her feet, biting her lip as she waited by the curtain. "You look scared." Kane stood there for a moment waiting for his music to hit. Awkwardly he rose his hand, after some inner conflict he committed and laid it on Carrie's shoulder in a comforting gesture.  
"Just . . . got a lot on my mind." She was still mulling over what she planned to do when out there. _'I hate feeling useless. . . . it's the worst.'_ Her stomach turned at the thought.  
"Like what exactly?" Kane began to ponder the possibilities. _'Did he get to her too? Call her a lap dog? Or is she thinking about Edge? Is this when she betrays me?'_ And with that thought ingrained in his mind his theme began to blare through the arena.  
"All suppressed." Carrie shook her head as if to wake up.  
"Right." Kane adjusted his pads before starting his walk to the ring, Carrie followed a few strides behind.

After climbing over the top rope Kane rested his foot against the second to allow Carrie to walk between them. Carrie first took a minute to appreciate where she was, in a WWE ring surrounded by a sea of spectators, she was among superstars, only one thing took away from the poetic picture. "Are we supposed to be making out?" Carrie asked nonchalantly.  
"WHAT?!" Kane almost choked on his tongue as he forced the word out. Carrie wasn't even looking at him, her head was tilted slightly to right as she gawked at the unsanitary display of affection that was taking place in front of her.  
"I was kidding! Don't worry I'd never just jump on you like that, I respect your boundaries, I promise." Carrie couldn't tell what Kane was thinking, he had an unwavering grimace on his face, but other than that he read blank as a slate.  
"Good." Kane moved in Edge's direction, he wouldn't allow Edge to have the happiness he himself would always be deprived of.

"Whoa Whoa Whoa! This is all the thanks I get for all my troubles? Can you say ungrateful? Or just plain jealousy? Lita is one of a kind, a minx with no comparison. I can understand that nothing will make up for the loss. I thought you wouldn't notice the depreciation in value but hey you're smarter than you look! Sorry Carrie you have an awesome personality, spunky for sure but there's a big difference between ordinary and extraordinary." Edge shrugged quickly at a sour faced Carrie before laying on another heavy kiss on Lita.  
 _'When did everyone get so pompous? When did everyone start thinking they know how I feel? What I want? I'll knock him down a peg. I'll show them all, that nothing has changed, that to my very core I am and always have been the personification of hell. All these games and riddles they're putting me through, it's only delaying their own dissension into the pit.'_ Kane had something to prove, he had to prove to himself that despite everyone trying to influence his actions, he was still in control, and there's no better place to demonstrate control and dominance than in the ring.

"So I'd be jealous if I were you too, but hey you got a conciliation prize out of it. Which you're trying to give back, quite rude. But how many manners can you expect out of a monster. Am I right?" Edge looked over to Lita for validation. Lita looked from her man then over to a seething Kane then back to Edge.  
"Manners aren't what matter babe just what you do in the ring." Lita gave Edge an encouraging yet conveniently quick peck on the lips.  
"That's exactly right." Edge didn't read any farther into the exchange and continued to run his mouth. "Then I'll do what I do best, come out on top." Edge had a cocky grin plastered across his face.

"Get out of the ring." Kane kept his eyes on Edge as he spoke to Carrie.  
"You got it partner!" Carrie saw no reason to argue that point, though she did sneak in a small hug, of which Kane seemed to vehemently disapprove of. She could feel his entire body tense under her light grip before she finally detached and left the ring. Kane's eyes unglued themselves from Edge for a moment as they shifted slightly to watch her leave.  
 _'That skin.'_ An almost electrical surge flowed through him at the touch. _'Lust.'_ He remembered the conversation from not long ago. It was true, Carrie was stirring urges in Kane on both a emotional and primal level. _'Don't lose your grip on reality.'_ He remembered how Lita had described their relationship once it was over. _'I have nothing to offer her.'_ He tossed the conversation, the memories and the urges aside using all his energy to fuel the more comfortable emotion of anger. With that the two men locked horns in the center of the ring, Kane's brute strength prevailed and with apparent ease he tossed Edge to the mat with a thud. ' _Wrath.'_

Lita was incessantly loud, clapping, slamming and screaming as the match unfolded, contrary to Carrie who was uncharacteristically quiet. She had opted to remain silent and still, content with studying the match. Smiling when Kane had the upper hand, holding her breath when he was getting beaten down, chewing on her bottom lip through the majority of the match. "The Ogre is more afraid of you then you are of him!" Lita approached Carrie at ringside.  
"Don't call him that!" Carrie met her face to face.  
"Or what? Don't act all high and mighty like you're better than me. I brought you here to do one job, to be a valet to Kane, to calm the monster. You couldn't do that, now you can't even pretend to care how this match goes, pretend to be supportive, you're nothing but a waste of everyone's time. You're useless!" Lita spat, before giving Carrie a shove. She felt as though Carrie was throwing away an opportunity of a lifetime. Lita was one of those people Kane worried about, the kind of people who would use you as a stepping stone to get to where they wanted to be and here was Carrie standing all but motionless not seizing any chances, not making any alliance any game changing moves. That notion would abruptly change as Carrie shoved Lita right back.  
"What I care about, how I chose to support Kane, is no longer your business." Carrie pushed Lita a second time. The word useless had a pavlovian response to Carrie, it mad her adrenalin spike, it put her in fight or flight response every time she heard it, tagged with Lita's down talking to both Carrie and Kane, the choice between the two was obvious.  
"Support?" Lita tackled Carrie to the ground. "You're not doing anything!" Grabbing Carrie by the hair Lita kneed Carrie in the face. From the ground Carrie pulled at Lita's ankles yanking the diva down with her. Once on top Carrie threw a wound up punch straight into Lita's center of mass.  
"Exactly." Carrie panted as they began to outright brawl at ringside. _'Kane's not used to the fans cheering for him, let alone some spastic girl shouting from feet away. He needs to stay focused.'_ Unbeknowngst to her, the match had come to a halt as all three men in the ring had stopped to appreciate the fists and elbows currently being thrown between the two women. _'I'll prove my worth, I just need to bide my time.'_  
 _'Carrie?'_ Kane was shocked, here she was with among the people who had given birth to her WWE career and despite that, from his vantage point, she had made her loyalty clear to everyone, she had chosen him. Kane couldn't help but smile, it wasn't one sided, Carrie backed up her word, she wanted this friendship as bad as he did. _'What do I do with this match?'_ It was a catch 22, win the match, Carrie's contract was shortened, lose the match prove the riddler behind the curtain right, that wrath had been deluded in Kane, he wasn't the same monster he used to be.

"If you two don't break it up I will have you both thrown out." The ref finally made an attempt to take control of the chaos.  
 _'Well that's not a step in the right direction.'_ Carrie put her hands up in surrender getting thrown out would not bring her one bit closer to her goal. The women momentarily parted ways, but control was shorted lived, the match only went on for a few minutes longer before the dynamics changed.  
"I'll show you what support is!" Lita took noticed of incapacitated ref, that Kane had inadvertently knocked into the turnbuckle. Edge also after a low blow and feverish kicks to the ribs had gotten the monster down on one knee. A few elbows to the skull dazed the giant and he faltered more, eventually caving, his head hitting the mat. This was a moment Lita had been waiting for, she slid Edge's champion gold over to the ultimate opportunist.  
 _'Oh shit Oh shit!'_ Carrie grew wide eyed, Kane was in serious trouble, she had to do something. _'Nows my chance to prove I'm not a waste of space, I'm not useless.'_

Carrie scurried under the ropes into the ring, Lita on her coattails. Without time to think of a better plan she simply stood between Edge and the still floored Kane. Her arms and legs spread to their capacity in an attempt to conceal the mammoth man from harm. Edge who had the belt held over his head ready to strike hesitated only for a minute, once he saw Kane begin to stir, Carrie was only an obstacle in his way. With a bellowing thwack hard metal connected with Carrie's skull. In a swift motion she crumpled to the floor like a marionette with it's strings cut. Before Edge could get to his real target, his window of opportunity had closed. "Babe!" Lita shouted as she pointed out the ref was getting to his feet, Edge had to sneak back the belt or risk getting disqualified. Any televised loss by a champion opens a window for number one contendership and that was the last thing Edge wanted, he chucked his belt out over the ropes.

Kane had been catching his breath, trying to regain the energy that Edge had chopped away at. He hadn't seen Carrie's suicide sacrifice and wouldn't have been much help even if he had. As he got back to his feet the picture became clear. Kane stared down at Carrie who was laid out cold, contorted on the floor, even from his hight he could see some blood leaking from her head, dampening her auburn hair. The normally boiling hot blood speeding through his veins turned ice cold, his eyes glossed over like a shark's, his whole aura had a sheen of pure madness and rage. _'How could she be so stupid? I told her to stay away!'_ His stomach turned slightly. _'That's where friendship with me gets you.'_ He could see the look of pain lingering on Carrie's face, a moment captured in time, her last conscious thought before hitting the ground was one of strain. It almost looked as if she was sleeping, having a terrible nightmare. _'She did this for me. She sacrificed that thick skull of her's for me?'_ Kane was perplexed by the situation as a whole, it took him a minute to let it all sink in. Once it had, he was determined to regain control, he turned his attention to Edge.

"Maybe you two do have something in common. Just big targets, gluttons for punishment!" Edge simply couldn't help himself when it came down to verbally assaulting his opponents.  
"Babe shut up!" Lita tried to talk some sense into her boyfriend as she was escorted out of the ring by the ref, it was too late by that point Edge had dug himself a hole he could not get out of. Kane charged a few paces and grabbed Edge by the throat, lifting him to the highest elevation his stature would allow, he watched Edge's long legs flail for a moment before slamming the man down to the mat with thunderous force. Kane proceeded to press his boot against Edge's throat. Kane was getting a twisted rush from watching Edge writhe in pain, he couldn't even hear the ref demanding he back off.  
' _I want you to feel it Edge. You think this is all some game? I want you to feel, the pain, the desperation and agony I feel every day! I want you to loose all hope.'_ His demented smile grew as he could see Edge's eyes go bloodshot. Kane didn't get to bask in his entertainment for long.

A faint sound of groaning could be heard amongst Edge's gasping and sputtering. Kane immediately lost all interest in Edge as he turned and realized Carrie was regaining consciousness. He stood over her as he watched her move ever so slightly, squirming on the ground as her head throbbed uncontrollably. Kane glanced back at where he had left Edge to see if the man was stupid enough to resume an assault, but by this point both Edge and Lita were halfway up the ramp. The referee began a ten count, all Kane had to do was wait, but monsters wait for no man.

Kane lifted Carrie off the mat, cradling her in one arm, holding her tightly to his chest as he awkwardly got them out of the ring. "Kane?" The word was slow and groggy, her eyes unable to focus on any given spot. Kane didn't respond just continued walking. "Did you see?! I saved you! I did something." With a drunken sounding chuckle Carrie's head bobbed slightly, before returning to a resting spot between Kane's arm and his chest. "Did you win?" Carrie tried to see Kane's face but her current position wouldn't allow it. Kane cringed as he felt her warm slick blood smear against him. His demeanor made sure everyone cleared out of his path as he stomped his way in direction of the medical station.  
"Don't worry about it." Kane finally answered as held her tighter. _'Idiot! What were you thinking? Over a match? Over a match that it was you better interest for Edge to win? You got hurt over that? For me? I don't bleed this bad, should've just left it alone! I can take care of myself! I can take care of us! From Edge from the stalker from myself, now I have to protect you from your own stupid decisions!'_ After his bold declaration of total protection Kane felt Carrie go lax in his arms, which made him nervous, he didn't know what to do in this situation, before he could reach his destination he was spotted.

"Carrie!" Lizzie called out, Carrie's three friends had been running around looking for her since Kane had carried her out of camera view.  
"She's hurt!" Kane barked bluntly. He was starting to feel queasy as deja vu crept over him. It was nothing life threatening like the car accident he and Katie had been in but the feeling of Carrie's blood was sending him reeling, he was loosing control. _'Not again!'_

"We'll take her from here." Once the group finally reached the medical station an EMT tried to take Carrie from Kane's hold, but in a protective stance Kane recoiled. As much as holding her was sending him to a very dark place, he didn't want to let go. Kane felt Carrie was safest in his arms, he could protect her better than anyone could he was sure of it, everyone else was a liability. After staring down the EMT for a long minute or two Kane relented and put Carrie down on the stretcher. Without another word Kane left the room.

 _'You big idiot!'_ He knocked a row of leather bound knuckles into the side of his head. _'What's with all these emotions? Monsters don't need emotions! What am I doing this for? What am I gaining other than unwanted stress and a constant tease of what I'll never have. Is friendship worth is?'_ Kane's hands went to the back of his neck massaging tense muscles and bundled nerves. He knew the answer to those questions but he threw himself into a stage of denial. _'Stupid urges!'_ he felt like his body was tricking him into acting a way he never normally would. _'Women equal-'_ His mantra was shattered as a blood curdling scream emitted from the section he just left. One of those urges shot through him, compelling him to run to Carrie's side as fast as his bulky body would allow. Kane swung open the door, the handle denting the wall with a thud. Scanning the room the first words out of Kane's mouth were: "What did you do to her?"


	7. Walks like a duck

Carrie's eyes were bugging nearly out of her skull as she teetered the brink of hyperventilation. The entire left side of her head was now matted and wet with blood. _'It's not normal to bleed this much.'_ One shot to the head didn't usually lead to this much blood loss, Kane knew first hand. _'Unless you're flair.'_ Kane tried to think of reasons Carrie looked so poorly. "I said, what did you do to her?" Kane boxed The EMT who had been working on Carrie into a corner.  
"I . . . nothing she's just becoming coherent . . . she shouldn't have been moved she'll-" The frightened man dropped the needle and sutures he had tried to start stitching Carrie up with.  
"So it's my fault?" Kane could see tears flowing down Carrie's cheeks,on the one side snaking through caked on blood. They were tears of fear, something had scared her out of her mind. _'Does he think I'm stupid? She wasn't fine when I left but she wasn't terrified either. Is she afraid of needles?'_ He looked over at the tray of medical utensils next to the stretcher. "I asked you a question?" Kane's voice could almost be mistaken for a growl.  
"Carrie! Carrie! Calm down before Kane kills someone!" Janet gave Carrie a strong shake, which only sent Carrie rocketing up into a sitting position, screaming louder.

"Get out! Get out! Nathan get out of this room!" Carrie screamed frantically looking from side to side it was unclear if Carrie knew where she was, who was around her.  
"Nathan. The only thing keeping me from pummeling you into a puddle right now for whatever you did-" Kane began to lift the man by the collar. "Only thing . . ." He repeated to make sure his point was crystal clear.  
"I didn't do anything! She started going postal-"  
"Is that you'd be scooped up and shoveled onto the table next to her. Now I suggest you leave and send someone else in to fix her! Now!" Kane butted foreheads with his captive before releasing him.  
"But my name isn't even-"  
"Now!" Kane boomed again wedging himself in a position between Carrie and the quivering man.  
"You should probably listen." Sidney surprisingly agreed with Kane and watched as not Nathan scurried out the room. ' _Nathan? Why is she thinking about that old bum? We haven't seen him in a decade.'_ Sidney looked at his frightened friend with a puzzled gaze. Kane backed away from the table and walked to the door, peeking outside he checked the surroundings to make sure the EMT had gone to get more help.

"Carrie?" Sidney stroked his friend's back as he spoke calmly.  
"Sidney? Where am I? Last thing I remember-"  
"Last thing you remember is being an idiot and taking a money shot of metal to your face." Sidney tried and succeeded to get a laugh. "You're about to get stitches, no one is going to hurt you. Unless bully over here has any bright ideas." Sidney looked up at the Monster seeing if he had anything to add.  
"Kane? Stitches I-" She put a hand to her head, pulling it back into frame she saw the blood. "Oh god!" Carrie gulped hard.  
"It wasn't me! Trust me I'll get Edge back for what he did." Kane's teeth were grinding, he couldn't console Carrie like her friends were, he couldn't calm her like Sidney was but he could promise revenge. _'I'm a bully alright and with all these people around trying to take away the only friend I have, I'll throw around every ounce of my weight to keep them where they belong . . . out of my business.'_ It was as much a promise as it was a statement born from the principle of the matter.  
"I know I know." Carrie gulped again a hiccup trailing behind, her world was spinning as she was coming back to terms with reality. "Sidney I think I'm going to-"  
"I know that sound." Sidney cringed. "I got you-" Sidney grabbed a fist full of Carrie's hair helping her lean to her side as Carrie began to hurl. While the rest of the group looked away Janet brought up an equally unsettling thought.

"Maybe she's pregnant." Janet shrugged.  
"What?" Was the collective shout popping out of everyone's mouth.  
"Fucking hysterical mood swings. Vomiting, I'm just spitballing ideas here. I mean she has been staying in a single man's hotel room, lot of free time on their hands."  
"Do you honestly think Carrie would sleep with me?" Kane scowled. _'She's mocking me, this one too. They're all ganging up on me.'_ Kane wasn't sure how to approach this. They were Carrie's best friends so he couldn't pummel them into the ground like every fiber of his being was beckoning him to, but he also couldn't leave this open ended, he had to make it known that he would not take this mockery lying down.  
"Maybe it wasn't con-" Sidney started.  
"If you say I forced myself on her, nothing, or no one will save you from my fury." Kane's mind flickered to HHH's accusation that he had violated Katie.  
"I don't know! Carrie has a thing for freaky tall guys. The bigger the better. Fun fact: she has as long as I've known her never dated or even hooked up with someone under 6"3." Janet both informed the group and tried to neutralize the situation that she had stirred up.  
 _'Is that what happens? When those eyes of her's linger on me . . . is it lust?'_ Kane's rage subsided only for a second. _'Don't be crazy . . . there's nothing attractive about you . . . you're a freak . . . a monster . . . disfigured . . . she doesn't feel the same way, the same sensation.'_ He admitted to himself that he was attracted to Carrie, not only her skin, as a whole, as a woman. _'There's nothing you can offer her . . . there's not anything about you that'd she'd want. She, out of her kindness and naivety has befriended me . . . but nothing more.'_ He shook his head to shake the disillusions. Without another word he left the room for a second time.

As he walked out he couldn't help but lament on thoughts from long since past. _'She does . . . she does look at me like Katie did. And Katie, she . . . she loved me, scars and all. Is that where the flashbacks are coming from? To remind me that someone cared before, maybe someone could again . . . maybe Carrie could?'_ He stopped and gazed up at the ceiling a euphoric feeling of hope lingered for a few fleeting seconds. _'No she's nothing to me . . . a nuisance . . . she has to be, for the sake of both of us.'_ He punched a wall, the pain signaling through his fist was in it's own way soothing. _'Pain, women equal pain.'_ He left his fist resting against the wall for a moment. "Dammit!" His voice echoed through the empty hallway as he realized that the words he was force feeding himself weren't hitting home. Kane couldn't shake the hope, the lust, the emotions now tethered to Carrie. _'Don't fall for this again.'_ He squeezed his eyes shut and punched the wall more forcefully as memories of Lita tainted his mind. Kane had thought he found companionship with her, but it had all been a debilitating lie. _'You're a monster not a man. The monster never holds onto the woman for long, some hero will come swoop her up, save Carrie from me.'_ He let out an exasperated sigh as he pulled his fist away slowly from the wall and continued his walk.

"I look like a whore!" Carrie after a few stitches and some over the counter pain medicine had left the medical station. She had also out of necessity changed into a new set of clothes seeing as her previous garments were stained with unpleasant bodily fluids, vomit and blood. If one could call what barely covered her clothes, it was something Janet had snagged from the diva's locker room, a sequined eyesore, a tank top passing for a dress.  
"It's not so bad. I mean yeah . . . you look like a whore, but top dollar, pretty woman pay grade." Sidney tried to boost her moral, he could see the uncomfortable and embarrassed look in Carrie's eyes and he hoped some light humor would shake it from his injured friend. _'Just bare it a little longer, we're almost out of here.'_ Carrie's meek defeated demeanor quickly turned to one of anger when she felt a hand where it did not belong.

"Janet I'm not in the mood! Get your hand off my-" Carrie was rubbing her banged forehead with one hand while brushing away the unwanted touch with the other.  
"Not me! I didn't go there!" Janet announced. She was cheeky and had little to no sexual boundaries but she knew when it was uncalled for. Carrie spun around coming face to face with one of the lecherous wrestlers meandering about.  
"Who in the hell are you?" Carrie questioned bluntly, she was beyond irritable and could not be bothered to think of the consequences of her actions.  
"Introductions, very important indeed. I am surprised I'm the one who needs one. I'll indulge though, like the gentleman I am. Matt Striker is the name." He straightened his posture in an attempt to seem superior. "How are you this evening?" He asked with a smirk, knowing damn well the night had been less than kind to Carrie.  
"Fine and god damn dandy till you're wandering hand found it's way to may ass!" Carrie snapped, her cool calm and collected demeanor was cracking.  
"Tsk Tsk Tsk. Did your parents not teach you manners? Don't take that tone with me." He waved a condescending finger in Carrie's face.  
"Or what?" Her boldness increased by the second, her adrenalin pumping furiously she was seeing red by this time.  
"Simple. I'll have to teach you a lesson. Nothing drastic a stern spanking will suffice."  
"That's it!" Carrie went to slap him but Sidney yanked her hand backwards at the last minute, her extended hand still held perched in the air. "Sidney let the fuck go of me! I am not letting this asshole speak to me like that!" Breaking free from Sidney she attempted a second time only to be grabbed fully by Lizzie and Janet who were trying to hold her flailing back.  
"With a foul mouth like that you must've been popular with the boys and a troublemaker with educational professionals like myself." Striker continued to taunt her.  
"Ok Ok you can unleash your undying rage . . . just when we're not around. Cause I don't want to get my ass kicked and I can see that's where this is going." Sidney tried to talk some sense into the livid Carrie. He would have her back everyday of the week, but he was trying his best to avoid physical confrontation. The group struggled, as they did their best to drag Carrie away from the situation.

 _'I need to get the hell out of here.'_ Kane was feeling claustrophobic, his surroundings beings smothered with conflicting thoughts. He just wanted to get back to his dark, quiet and currently empty hotel room. He was almost at the garage when he was halted by the sight of a blur zooming through the hall. "Carrie?" He could barely make out the out of character looking woman weaving through the backstage traffic like a chicken with it's head cut off.  
"Hey Kane! Can't talk now . . . gotta run." Carrie panted as she tried to bolt past him, her plan was abruptly thwarted. With little effort Kane grabbed her by the shoulders and lifted her off her feet, cutting her forward momentum to a dead stop. "Oooor not. So . . . what have you been up to?"Carrie questioned as she attempted to catch her breath. Kane did not respond, simply staring at her with an annoyed and questioning look in his eyes.

"Carrie this is no time to bat eyelashes at tall pale and spooky, come on! You just had to slap him didn't you?" Janet plowed by the couple.  
"What trouble did you get into now?" Kane's frown intensified. ' _How many of her messes do I have to clean up? At this rate I'll end up fighting the whole roster.'_ His head tilted to one side as he continued to stare at her. "More trouble than you're worth." He sighed, unintentional stinging Carrie's ego.  
"Um . . . well it's all Janet's fault! She picked this out . . . dressed me like a whore and . . . I really ought to go." She glanced behind her expecting Striker to round the corner at any minute. Kane slowly put her back on her feet, grabbing her wrist forcefully, he escorted her to his dressing room.  
 _'Who knows what these animals have been thinking. Gawking and drooling.'_ He knew his coworkers had no shame in their catcalling and derogatory statements. He knew if he didn't fix the situation he'd end up knocking a handful of them on the spot. _'She's not meat.'_ Once in the room he handed her a pair of sweatpants. "Here. There's a bathroom over there." He pointed to the door in the far end of the room. "Go change before you flash someone." As much as Kane chastised his fellow wrestlers for gawking he could help but steal a glance at her as she disappeared to the bathroom. His pulse was heightened at the sight of her exposed flesh, he felt his muscles tighten, he ran a hand over his forehead trying to ignore and suppress his surging hormones.

Carrie couldn't help but laugh at herself as she tied knot after knot in the sweatpants to try and keep them up. Kane walked to the door, instinctively thinking she was laughing at his expense, perhaps she had seen the new look in his eyes and found it literally laughable. He pounded a single time on the door, enough for the wood to rattle. "What's so funny?" He could bore holes with the glare he was sending at the door. _'She's a moron if she thinks she can laugh at me and get away with it.'_ Kane came to a realization, he still had his wrath, and he was overcome with lust, not one more than the other, instead they were dangerously intertwined.  
"They're huge!" To add to the comedic effect Carrie had pulled the oversized pants all the way up to her armpits as she waddled out the door. "How do I look?" Carrie could barely make out the words, she was cracking herself up.  
"Like an idiot." Kane stated flatly but a smirk found it's way to his face. 

"Like my mom used to say: If it walks like a duck . . . and talks like a duck . . . then it's probably an idiot." Carrie shrugged.  
"That's not . . . nevermind" Kane shook his head at the goofy woman. "Come on, lets go before you slap someone else." Kane scoffed as he took into focus the level of which Carrie was simply swimming in his workout pants, her legs were completely lost in the sea of fabric.  
"Take a picture it will last longer!" Carrie waved a hand in front of Kane's face, snapping him from his elongated stare. Being caught Kane didn't know what to do, what to say.  
 _'Is she mad?_ ' Kane assumed Carrie was upset by his looming gaze, he always assumed the worst of people's opinions. Carrie was simply smiling up at the big man but that meant nothing, an ever present grin did not help Kane gauge how she was feeling. "I wasn't . . ." He didn't know how to finish that sentence. "You just look . . ."  
"Relax it's just a phrase." As Carrie's smile grew it brought a sense of ease to Kane who had begun to panic, this smile looked more genuine. "I was just saying don't worry there will be plenty more opportunities for me to look like an idiot."  
"I shouldn't have called you that." Kane gave the closest thing to an apology as he had in years, but followed it up with an aloof shrug.  
"It's no biggie a little name calling here and there never-"  
"It starts as name calling Carrie!" Kane snapped, sometimes he truly was unhinged, changing emotions in the matter of seconds. He recalled how cruel people had been to him after the fire, all the names, all the looks. Before he grew into a behemoth people were relentlessly awful both vocally and physically. "You don't take care of yourself!" Kane tried to figure out how to word what he wanted to say.  
"Huh?"  
"You let people talk down to you, you're just going to get hurt. You have to stick up for yourself, defend yourself. I won't always be around to protect you and if you get hurt..." He trailed off, a look of guilt on his face as his eyes connected with Carrie's fresh stitches.  
"Looks worse than it is." Carrie caught on to what had derailed the monster. "I got a thick skull trust me." Carrie knocked a fist against her skull to prove her point.

Closing the gap between the two of them Kane approached Carrie. Tenitively he raised his hand up, with all the delicateness the brute could muster he trailed his fingers up and down Carrie's stitches. "Kane." Carrie's eyes flickered with a sense of awe. _'I knew it! I knew you had this in you Kane! You're not just the monster you keep trying to convince me you are!'_ With each graze of his touch it became clearer and clearer to her that Janet had been right. _'I do have a thing for big guys I guess.'_ She was beginning to see Kane in a new light. _'You must be this tall to ride this ride.'_ She chuckled to herself. _'Idiot just because we're not at each other's throats now doesn't mean that pursuing Kane is anything less than a train wreck waiting to happen.'_ Carrie's grin receded slightly and Kane took notice.  
"Did I hurt you?" He pulled his hand back and took two steps backwards, his stomach sank as he figured he had ruined their brief moment.  
"No no that's not it!" She shook her head vehemently. "I just . . . I should go. See if my friends stuck around."

"You can't go by yourself!" Kane stated with authority. "He's out there somewhere." Kane's body tensed, every muscle preparing for battle. He was concerned not about Striker, seeing as Kane didn't even know or ask who Carrie had slapped. Kane's mind was on his newly acquired stalker. _'Take out his competition, he's coming for Carrie.'_ Kane neglected to inform Carrie of the danger she was in.  
"What happened to sticking up for myself? Defending myself? You were literally just telling me that-"  
"I said I won't always BE around. With me beside you only two kinds of people would bother messing with you. Those way too big for you to take on by yourself and those too crazy to realize I'm no one to mess with. Just worry about when your alone, I've got it covered the rest of the time." Kane was protective to a fault, once someone overcame the daunting task of befriending the monster, Kane would use every ounce of strength in his arsenal to keep them out of harms way. He would throw his body to the wolves if it meant keeping a friend safe. Kane's loyalty once earned was beyond compare.  
"You're not my body guard Kane." Carrie could see the determined look in his eyes.  
"If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck..." Kane tussled Carrie's hair with his big palm. _'Hell I let myself get burned during an inferno match for that weasel X-Pac if I was willing to do that, protecting you is not even worth discussing.'_ Kane looked down at Carrie, he wouldn't let them hurt her, he wouldn't let happiness be ripped from him again. _'Women equal pain.'_ His eyes jolted when he felt Carrie take the hand that had perched atop her head and wove it with her own. _'For now it's worth it.'_ Kane knew that he was being unrealistic, that in his world happiness was always short lived, constantly slipping through his grasp but he chose for the moment to be blissfully ignorant and enjoy it while it lasted.  
"Come on then, chaperone." Carrie tugged at his hand motioning him to move. Kane followed quietly behind as they left the arena, ever so often glancing around in anticipation for an ambush. Eventually he pulled his hand back. _'Just because I can't see him, doesn't mean he can't see me.'_  
"Kane everything ok?" Carrie was puzzled by his abrupt recoil.  
"I'm parked over there." Kane pointed over at the large rental across the lot, ignoring Carrie's question.

As they rode off into the night Carrie began to squirm in her seat, the medication she had taken was wearing off and her head was beginning to throb again. Kane glanced over at her clutching the steering wheel tight, exhaling sharply, it was eating him up that Carrie was in pain. _'Why'd she have to go put her nose where it didn't belong. I didn't need her help. Now she's all busted up and-'_  
"Kane?" Carrie asked with a groan to her voice.  
"What? We're almost back Carrie, you'll sleep it off and be fine in the morning."  
"Can we stop at 7-11?" She turned her head to face him, a puppy dog eyed look on her face.  
"Woman you are going to turn into a slurpee." Kane scoffed but relented as he turned off the major road.  
"A risk I am willing to take." Carrie chuckled, trying not to laugh too hard and possibly make her headache worse.  
"Is food all you think about?"  
"Not food . . . just slurpees . . . and waffles . . . and skittles. I have a sweet tooth so sue me! Kane you're seven feet tall three hundred some pounds, you can't tell me you don't have a few favorite foods that cross your mind now and again."  
"Pizza." Kane shrugged as they pulled into the convince store's lot. "And burgers . . . and hotdogs . . . and Chef boyardee."  
"Well you're in luck 7-11 has the finest eight hour old hotdogs money can buy." Carrie laughed as they walked through the door. Again Kane followed slowly behind, looking over his shoulder as he walked, to see if they had been followed.

"Can you please hurry up." Kane's voice was muffled as he took another bite of his second hot dog. In the time it was taking Carrie to figure out the perfect slurpee flavor ratio Kane had already made his purchases and had begun to eat them.  
"Keep your pants on what's the rush?" Carrie began to pour slowly. As she switched from one nozzel to the next she paused to look up at Kane who had a frustrated look across his face. "Kane what's wrong?"  
"Nothing." Kane crumpled up the food wrapper and threw it out, contemplating weather to open another. "I'll wait out in the car." Kane began to walk away.  
"Wait I don't get it. Are you mad at me? What happened?" Carrie called out to Kane but he didn't turn around his shoulders hunched as he continued to walk. "Did I miss something?" She looked at the cashier for validation and only then realized what had annoyed Kane. "That's really fucking rude you know?!" She shouted, abandoning her drink she walked over to a group huddled over by the chips, the whole store had been staring at Kane, she saw stares, she saw finger pointing, she saw the snickering everywhere she looked.  
 _'She must be out of her mind.'_ Kane stopped in his tracks turning to see where this was going.  
"What?" One of the patrons finally questioned once Carrie was face to face with the group.  
"To stare like that! It's rude to stare. Kane's a person too you know. He's got feelings! And he'll accept his apology now." Carrie stood arms crossed as she stared at the young woman who she had seen pointing at Kane.  
"I'm sorry but-"  
"No, just sorry. Sorry but means I'm not sorry and here's why. Just sorry, simple as that, just say sorry." Carrie cut her off.  
"Look chill, I mean no offense dude but . . . look at you, you're like a real life Frankenstein." One of the woman's friends tried in the worst way possible to help her.  
"Carrie lets go." Kane spoke through clenched teeth trying his best not to attack a civilian.  
"No, not till they apologize."  
"Now!" Kane's voice startled the occupants of the store.  
"No! I'll wait, I'll wait all day. I have a slurpee to fill up." Carrie walked back over to the drink machine. "We're not leaving till those idiots apologize." Carrie stated calmly as she resumed her pour.  
"Alright Alright we're sorry ok? Can we go now?" The woman tried to appease Carrie, who by this point was paying for her beverage.  
"I'm not a cop, you can leave whenever you want." Carrie rolled her eyes. "Side note: I don't believe you, but I feel that's the best I'm going to get out of you jerks so just make like a tree and get the fuck out of here. I can only hope you learned your lesson, staring is rude!" Carrie ended her rant and watched the group scurry out of the door, doing their best not to make eye contact with Kane as they left.

"The hell was that all about?" Kane slammed the door behind him as they got back in the car.  
"Why should you have to leave just because the store was filled with a bunch of tools? Remember? Sticking up for yourself? I was just backing you up."  
"I don't need any back up, and I can't go around chokeslaming everyone who thinks I'm freak." For a period time, a very long duration if one actually measured it, that is exactly what Kane had done. Anyone who looked at Kane wrong met with violent consequences. It took him years to realize that it didn't change anything, it didn't make anything better, it simply made him more of a spectacle than he already was. He had finally learned just to suppress the resentment and anger, saving it to unleash on those he was paid to destroy.  
"I didn't chokeslam anyone, I just forcefully demanded an apology. I know you don't need backup but I need you to know you're not an island."  
"Huh?"  
"You got me!"  
"What?" Kane still didn't understand, more importantly he felt that Carrie didn't understand, he didn't need anyone's help.  
"Friends, not just for threatening bodily harm anymore. I want you to know that I have your back just as much as you have mine! Oh I get by with a little help from my friends, gonna try with a little help from my friends-"  
"Are you singing?" Kane had a bothered look on his face as he listened to her crude interpretation of the Beatles song.  
"Do you need anybody?" She pointed over at Kane to take the next line, he simply put on the radio in attempt to drown her out. Carrie laughed appreciating Kane's passive aggressive shut down.  
 _'Not her calling.'_ They rode in silence for another ten minutes or so before an impromptu boost in Carrie's confidence spurred her into action.

"Kane?"  
"Hmm?" He hadn't taken his eyes off the road, his profile being highlighted by the street lights. Carrie prepared herself for Kane to recoil but she went through with her plan anyway, she leaned to her side letting her head fall into a resting spot against Kane's arm.  
"Does your head still hurt?" Kane felt himself getting nervous, being so close to her it caused his blood to pump furiously through his body. "There's some Tylenol back at the hotel." He looked over at Carrie, his demeanor as aggressive as always though there was a slight inquisitiveness and interest this time around. Part of him truly did think she genuinely wanted to be close to him. He let out a heavy breath as he felt her nuzzle against him, her curly brown hair tickling his skin.  
"Not really. A little sore but I'll live." She paused contemplating what to say next. "You can trust me you know?" Her eyes locked with his momentarily. She was right against him, but by the haunted look on his face he seemed miles away behind wall after double enforced wall. Kane sped up, eyes now glued to the road, wanting to get to get back to the hotel, wanting to create some space between the two of them before he did something he would regret.  
"Maybe." He gave a short reply after another block of silence and contemplation. As he pulled into a parking spot he looked down at Carrie again. This time it wasn't there, he didn't see Katie, no mirages of his past, he simply saw Carrie. _'Does this change anything?'_  
"I'll take maybe." Carrie replied with a yawn as they got out of the car. Little did they know, all the trust in the world wouldn't save them from the danger looming in the shadows. 


	8. too close for comfort

"Carie?! Carie IHOP won't wait forever I think this one closes! It's like eleven o' clock." Sidney gave one knock, the improperly closed door creaked, cracking open slightly.  
"Erie yet enticing . . . lets go!" Janet without a second thought welcomed herself in the hotel room. It appeared abandoned but you could hear the shower running.  
"Carrie? Kane?" Sidney called out for any sign of life. "She snoozes she loses, that's what I'm going with. Maybe that finally means some waffles for the rest of us." Sidney spoke in a hushed tone as they crept through the bedroom.  
"Janet don't!" Lizzie warned, seeing mischievous look on her friends face. Janet was taking small steps twords the bathroom.  
"What?" Janet played dumb, as she inched her way to the door.  
"Do you remember the last time you walked in on Carrie in the shower?" Sidney knew where this was going, Janet brought shower crasher to a whole new level.  
"Two trips to home depo well worth it. We both learned how to Spackle, sanding is a bitch . . . but I digress . . . she'll get over it." There's was no turning back now. Janet tiptoed across the bathroom floor and with one fell swoop she whipped the shower curtain to the side. "Boo!" She barely got the words out before she realized she had made a horrible mistake.

"Oh shit! Oh Jesus! Run! Run! Women and children first! Move move move!" Janet came sprinting out of the bathroom like a gazelle, a look of sheer terror in her normally calm chestnut eyes. She slammed the bathroom door behind her before scrambling for the exit, the door didn't stay shut for long.  
"I told her not to . . . Oh no." Lizzie started with a laugh but ended with a gasp as Kane's head popped from the side of the half cracked door. One couldn't tell if the steam leaving the room was from the blistering hot shower or the fact that Kane's blood was boiling and emitting it's own steam, either way it made the monster nearly foaming at the mouth look even more terrifying. The three friends didn't wait and try to explain themselves instead opting to bolt out of the room Scooby Doo style.

After a slight head start Kane began chasing after them, his heavy feet stomping through the hallways. He tugged the waistband to the pants he barely pulled on he began the hunt. "Fuck we're dead! Janet you would think you'd notice the difference between those two!" Sidney yelled as they took a sharp turn, none of them had any idea where they were going, all they could do was keep a few steps ahead of Kane whose footsteps could be heard charging after them.  
"I did notice the difference idiot! So sue me I didn't notice the slight hight difference but I caught on to the only difference that really matters! By then it was too late!" Janet snapped back, her face flushed, she was running out of energy.  
"Your eyes immediately went to his dick?! You could have saved us a few seconds and bolted once you realized that giant muscle rage machine was loofaing!" Sidney grew louder.  
" You know me! Of course my eyes immediately-"  
"Guys less arguing more running!" Lizzie at the back of the pack could hear Kane's death threats. "He's catching up . . . he's angry . . . and I think we're running in circles!" Lizzie looked over her shoulder, she couldn't see Kane yet, but by the sounds of it he was getting closer, and unlike them, she was sure he would endure till he caught every last one of them.

"I say we B- line it back to Carrie's room, I doubt he took time to close it, and try to just lock him out!" Janet's legs were burning, she was used to being chased but not in such a literal sense.  
"Oh good! Great idea Janet, piss him off more! He's a human bulldozer do you think a door is going to stop him?" Sidney was angry at Janet for getting them in this mess in the first place. _'He'll kill us, and enjoy it too!'_ He imagined the horrors of what Kane would do if the monster got his hands on them. _'I just hope he lets Carrie burry the bodies!'_  
"Well big shot, what's your hail Mary play?" Janet gave Sidney a shove as they ran. _' I didn't barge in on him on purpose!'_  
"Carrie's room it is!" Sidney relented when no remarkably better plan came to mind. They used the last of their energy to sprint towards the room. When Lizzie turned around again, she could see Kane, and he was gaining momentum, there was no escaping. _' I wish I hard started up cardio at the gym . . . or started going to the gym at all for that matter.'_

Kane's embarrassment and anger levels were off the charts. He didn't care who they were, Carrie's friends or not, he had all intentions of making them pay. _'She can get new friends, smarter friends. What the hell were they thinking?! Can't people understand? Can't people just LEAVE ME ALONE!'_ Kane's pessimistic mind simply could not comprehend the playful nature of Janet's ambush. He saw it as an attack, as being made a spectacle. _'I'll show them . . . show them what it's like. I'll rearrange their faces! Then who will be ugly?! Then who will be disfigured? Then who will be shunned? Be a freak?'_ Every question made him more and more angry, both at the three musketeers, and at the world as a whole.

"I can't seem to face up to the facts. I'm tense and nervous and I can't relax. I can't sleep cause my bed's on fire. Don't touch me I'm a real live wire. Psycho Killer Quest que cet-" Carrie paused her ipod as familiar faces entered the room in a blitz. "Janet Lizzie I thought-"  
"Kill her not me she has nothing to live for!" Janet dragged Carrie from the bed and cowered behind her as the door nearly flew off it's hinges. Kane had arrived and his seething eyes were scanning the room for his first victim.  
"I go get skittles from the vending machine, come back to an empty hotel room, shower running. Four minutes later you three come in screaming like idiots and you come in half naked looking for blood. You got no shoes on man! Defeats the purpose of the shower." Carrie pointed down to Kane's bare and still damp feet. "What the hell happened?" Carrie paused to spin around to Janet, breaking from her death grip. "And I have plenty to live for thank you very much!"  
"Get. Them. Out of here. Now!" Kane huffed angrily. Self restraint was not one of Kane's virtues and he was straining what little he had to keep from painting the room red.

"Not till someone tells me what's going on!" Carrie knew she couldn't defuse the ticking time bomb that was Kane until the full picture was laid out for her. Kane was not in a sharing mood, he parked himself in a chair far away from the group, stewing with malice. Clenching his teeth he tried hard to concentrate on anything other than punching one of Carrie's miserable friends in the face.  
 _'I'll kill em' I'll kill them all.'_ His anger had not weigned an ounce.  
"Remember that time . . . Janet stormed in on you in the shower." Sidney shook his head in disappointment that Janet had not learned her lesson. Carrie hadn't taken the surprise attack much better than Kane. Four years prior Janet had taken it upon herself to make sure Carrie wasn't late for a job interview. She did so by interrupting Carrie's shower, invading her privacy and joining her in the cubical sized spot, laughing the entire time. Carrie had screamed bloody murder, proceeding to punch and claw at Janet, a full on brawl ensued as the water ran. The wash rag handle had been torn from the wall in the scuffle. None of this seemed to have phased Janet, to whom till this day found it a hilarious moment captured in time. Her attempts to relive the memory had failed miserably.  
"Long story short . . . I kind of thought Kane was you and-" Janet shrugged but before she could continue any words were drowned out. Carrie had fallen to the floor laughing, rolling to her side she could see Kane's scowl deepen, his fists clenched tight, his whole body rigid, visibly uncomfortable.  
 _'Carrie too? They're all laughing at me.'_ His breath went from slow and controlled to rapid and shallow. _'Do I teach them ALL a lesson?'_ Closing his eyes he contemplated his options.

"I'm not laughing at you Kane." The statement fell on deaf ears, it did nothing to calm the monster. He simply turned away, opening his eyes he stared blankly out the window.  
 _'I can't take much more of this.'_ His knuckles squeezed harder still, his nails now digging sharply into his palms, causing him to wince ever so slightly.

"I'm laughing at you!" Carrie pointed at Janet as her laughter slowly fizzled. "Idiot! Serves you right!" She stuck out her tongue at her still rattled friend. " I don't know who should be more insulted, me or Kane. Because obviously you don't know either of us very well, or at least not our silhouettes."  
"Kane." Janet answered with no hesitation, sticking her tongue out right back.  
"Rhetorical question." Carrie tried to assert, but again her words fell on deaf ears as Sidney chimed in.  
"Definitely Kane." He nodded thoughtfully as if he was truly pondering the question. "Any day someone gets mistaken for all this, it must be a bad hair day for them." Sidney waved his hands in front of the now upright sitting Carrie as to symbolize all this.

Kane had heard enough, without a word he stood from his seat, taking the chair in his hands he slammed it against the wall, effortlessly shattering it to bits, commanding everyone's attention. "Kane it's alright." Carrie stood to approach him but he moved to maintain distance between the two of them.  
 _'I don't want to hurt you.'_ His eyes were deranged, almost a pleading madness exuded from his eyes as he looked at Carrie.  
"Whoa relax big guy I was on your side." Sidney gave an uneasy chuckle. Kane looked down at the mess he had made, then over to Sidney, the demon wasn't done, his rage unsatisfied. Still wordless Kane approached Sidney, he stared down at the smaller man for a minute, cocking his head to one side as he inspected Sidney's uneasy demeanor, till finally he decided on what to do.  
 _'But I do want to hurt'_ Kane punched Sidney square in the nose, sending him reeling. Sidney fell to his knees, holding his face as if he feared his nose would fall straight off.

"Sidney!" The three girl's ran to the crumpled man's side.  
 _'You shouldn't have laughed at me.'_ Kane had a sick smirk on his face, that went unnoticed by the group.  
"Fuck! I think it's broken!" Sidney croaked as he tried to hold back manly tears.  
"The hell was that for?" Janet bolted up and gave Kane a shove, his hand quickly perched upwards for a punch.  
"Kane don't!" Carrie shouted, unsure how this had devolved into chaos so quickly.  
"He didn't peep on you I did! Just because you won't hit girls-"  
"I never said. . ." Kane glanced over at his own fist. "That I don't hit women."  
"Kane please she didn't mean to-" Carrie tried to talk some sense into the livid monster, her voice was all but white noise to him at this point. He still had the vaguest amount of control, and he brought his fist down, leaving it still balled up at his side.  
 _' I have to . . . I won't let them take her from me.'_ Kane realized that their friendship was on thin ice, that her more tenured friends would surely rip her away after this attack. "And I never said that was for the shower." He finished bluntly.

"Then the fuck was it for? Shits and giggles?" Sidney groaned still wallowing on the floor.  
"You don't seem to understand." Kane's desire for companionship would only keep the thirst for blood subdued for so long. He walked over to Sidney and lifted him by his collar, making the two of them eye to eye.  
"Kane let go of him!" Carrie pulled on one of Kane's arms in a failed attempt to get him to release Sidney.  
"I don't need a reason." Kane paused watching Sidney dangle and squirm. "To do what I want. When I want." He paused again, trying to collect his thoughts. " You have all just been provoking the monster!" Letting one hand go while still clutching Sidney he pointed forcefully against his own chest. "Do you know what's worse than a monster?" He waited for an answer. "DO YOU?" His thunderous voice came out like a snarl. Sidney couldn't find his voice and simply shook his head no. "I'll tell you, a caged monster. Everywhere I turn there you are! Following Carrie around like some mother hen. She's protected you this long but your time has run out. All the shouting, all the mocking all the indifference you show-" 

"This isn't about you. This is about Carrie isn't it?" Sidney stopped flailing as a lightbulb went off in his head. "Cause think about it Kane. Carrie wouldn't want you to pummel me! Carrie tell Kane you don't want him to pummel me." Sidney turned to his friend for help.  
"Kane I-" Carrie started but was quickly shut down, this was apparently not her fight to fight.  
"There you go again, not listening. If any one of you could shut your mouth and listen for ten seconds maybe I wouldn't have to repeat myself. I do what I want, whatever I want." He repeated with emphasis. "Whenever I want. I'm not on a leash at her command. Despite that, even now you're using her, helpless without her. Do you . . . do any of you. . . " He looked over at Janet and Lizzie. "Ever think of anyone other than yourselves?" The slower and more calmly he spoke, the more fuming he grew.  
"I think about Carrie all the time if that's what you mean, don't understand why you're taking this so personally hell I don't even know why you care but-"  
"You don't understand anything about me." Kane spat.  
"It's an unfair question though." Sidney tried to make a counter point. "Carrie's not the one hoisted up in the air with a broken nose. But trust if she was, I'd find a way to save her. No pressure." He glanced back at Carrie, signaling with his eyes that she had to do something before the situation got worse.  
"He's right Kane. They were just joking around. I know it might seem mean but they-" Carrie tried to explain that her friends had no malicious intent.  
"Joking around? No Carrie, you're blind! They're laughing at you. Everyone is laughing at you. They're using you, sucking you dry. I've been sitting back as long as I could for you to stick up for yourself but I can't stand it anymore!" Kane knew what it was like to be teased, to be laughed at, to be used abused and tormented, even by people thought to be friends. To Kane it was black and white, either you're with me or against me, there was no playful in between.  
"Kane it's not like that." Carrie shook her head, she scrunched her brow trying desperately to think of a way to make Kane understand.  
"He's right. Not one hundred percent." Sidney refused to give Kane full victory. " But sort of the smallest bit right." 

"You have all just been laughing at me this whole time?" Carrie's shoulder's slumped and her eyes saddened. Kane knew that look, the look of realization when you find out your friendship, which you pumped your heart and soul into was based on a lie.  
 _Don't worry Carrie I'll make them pay, they won't get away with this.'_ ' There was something different in Carrie's look though, it took Kane a minute to realize it, but once he did it was all he could see. "And you!" Kane pointed over at the defeated woman. "Stop that!"  
"Stop what?" Carrie sounded meek and drained.  
"Smiling like that!" Kane stared in awe, perplexed at how despite learning her friends weren't who she thought they were, she could still hold a smile on her face.  
"What I can't smile?" It was taking most of Carrie's effort to keep said smile on her face, Kane was not making the task any easier.  
"Not like that!" Kane grimaced, the awkward smile made even the demented monster feel uncomfortable.  
"Like what?" She looked down her nose trying to see her lips. _'I'm trying, but trying isn't good enough. Got to keep the smile up girl.'_ She fought harder to force a better smile across her face.  
"Like . . . nevermind forget it." He shook his head. _' Like it's all your good for Carrie. No one can be happy all the time. . . or even just content . . . Not even you! Do you think I can't tell? You don't have to hide from me. I'm the last person you need to wear a mask around. It makes me so . . . angry-'_ It was the only emotion he could feel at the moment. _'When you pretend like that. These two faced friends might only want you around when the going is good, but I'm . . . different.'_ He was determined to hold himself to a higher standard than the three stooges in front of him. "Just your face will get stuck like that if you keep making stupid faces." He finished, he had bigger fish to fry. _' Don't smile all the time Carrie, just when you mean it.'_

"Speak for yourself Sidney! Kane must've scrambled your brains. Don't listen to him Carrie he's loopy we aren't like that and you know it." Lizzie stomped her foot on the ground to emphasize her point.  
"Liar." Kane directed his attention to Lizzie. _'Even the quiet one Carrie, they're all no good for you. Attachments always hurt in the end Carrie. The sooner you learn that the better. We have each other, and that's all we need. Everyone else is out to get us.'_ Had he spoken those words aloud maybe Kane would've noticed how paranoid he sounded.  
"No we weren't laughing at you . . . well we were but you know what I mean." Sidney began to try and explain what he meant by agreeing with Kane.  
"I don't . . ." Carrie bit her lip, she just wanted to be alone, but there was no escape in the crowded room. "I really don't know what anyone means right now." She gave a weak chuckle as she shook her head.  
"The only thing I agree with is maybe . . . since we got here we haven't had your back as much as we should have, we've been coasting around eighty six percent, unacceptable. Maybe we were a bit hard on the joking side. We figured you could take it, you've been handling yourself pretty well so far. Striker . . . this guy!" Sidney pointed at Kane's chiseled angry face.

"Striker?" Kane dropped Sidney like a ton of bricks. This opened a whole new realm of possibilities. He could go after Striker for whatever it was he had done, take his frustrations out on him with with no ramifications. At the moment it didn't matter whose face he was breaking so long as he could release all this rage.  
"Ok Phew!" Carrie put a hand to her head and rolled her eyes. "Don't scare me like that." Carrie sat on the floor next to Sidney. "That's not nearly as bad as what I thought you meant. Sure you guys take a laid back approach to friendship . . . but you always have. It goes well with my young and stupid, reckless abandon, take on the world solo mentality." Carrie's forced smile had been wiped clean and replaced with a fresh vibrant one. "Even you Kane . . . though you don't want to admit it . . . we tease each other . . . not to be mean just because you know . . . that's what friends do!" Carrie could not believe the level of misunderstanding.  
"Our definition of friends . . . is very different." Kane scoffed. _'She does make a point.'_ He frowned, unsure how he believed their bickering and ribbing was anything different from what she shared with her other friends. The truth of the matter was he had tunnel vision, an us versus them view of the world. Carrie was on his side, she had all but won his trust, everyone else was a liability, a threat. Their friendship was unique, to Kane it was superior in every way. 

"Kane?" Carrie looked up at the still riled machine.  
"What?" His response was short and gruff. Was this the betrayal he was dreading, was this when she picked them over him. _'Why wouldn't she? Idiot you ruined it . . . just like you always do.'_  
"I'll sign the papers." Carrie let out a deep sigh.  
"Papers?" It didn't register with Kane what Carrie was doing.  
"I didn't mean to put you through all this. You won't be a caged monster for much longer. The match was called as undecided but we all know you were dominating, you were wining. I'll go talk to Mr. Mcmahon tomorrow, let him know I'm willing to cut my contract in half. Two more weeks or so I think." Carrie shrugged. ' _He's right. I'm more trouble than I'm worth.'_  
 _'She's agreeing to that? She's still not listening, she's still not sticking up for herself. Or is that what she wants? I just broke her best friend's nose.'_ He glanced over at Sidney, partially placing the blame on him. _'She's still here, but I'm losing her because I can't keep control. I've let my madness take over me. I let the monster win.'_ He outstretched his palms looking down at them as if they were foreign bodies. After a moment of self reflection he snapped his hands back into fists. With the chair out of commission he sat on the edge of the bed instead. _' And monsters are always meant to be alone. If I'm going to be a monster I have to act the part . . . I have to go back . . . to wanting to be alone.'_ He slowly outstretched on the bed, his feet hanging over the end.  
"Kane did you hear me? I thought you'd be happier about this." Carrie listened as Kane let out an elongated breath. _'What is it Kane? Friends or enemies? You have to pick one, and soon. This back and forth is growing old. . . . fast.'_ Carrie waited for a response.  
"I'm going to sleep. Keep them quiet it. Or since they can't shut their mouthes, show them the door." Kane lifted a hand to point towards the exit. He did not address Carrie's statement at all, his anger had drained him and he had no desire to pick a fight with Carrie at the moment. Shutting his eyes he laid motionless, waiting hopefully for tiredness and silence to creep over him, hoping for his racing mind to get some rest.

Carrie didn't know what to do, she hadn't expected to be brushed off like that. After a momentary daze she took her eyes off Kane and turned to her friends. "I think we can agree you guys have caused enough mayhem and foolishness for one night. You should probably go now." With embellished hand motions she began to shoo them away.  
"Are you going to be OK?" Sidney had reservations about leaving Carrie with a man so willing to bring violence to the table. Carrie looked over at the resting monster before responding, watching his chest rise and fall, he finally looked as if he had reached a level of normalcy.  
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Carrie nodded. As crazed and aggressive as Kane was, Carrie was fairly confident she was not in harms way.  
 _'I wouldn't hurt her, she knows that, don't fill her head with garbage. You smug idiots don't understand me and you never will. I would never hurt Carrie.'_ Kane frowned in his 'sleep'. With some hesitation the group started to move towards the door.  
" I'm sorry we . . . mostly Janet ruined our plans. Goodnight Carrie!" Lizzie gave a wave as she moved into the hallway.  
"Good-"  
"Where do you sleep? Do you two sleep in the same bed?" Janet lingered in the room.  
"Janet it's none of your business where I sleep, now please go before you cause anymore trouble." Taking Janet's shoulders in her hands Carrie began to forcefully escort her friend out of the room.  
"Just curious." Janet scoffed at what she thought was an overreaction. It was a valid question, just one not needing to be answered in this tense environment. Carrie and Kane did share their communal bed, at polar ends of the mattress, an unspoken agreement to all but ignore the other's presence.  
"Well after the stunt you just pulled, I think Kane probably wants some space. I'll probably be sleeping on the floor, happy now?"

"You can stay in our room. Sleep in Sidney's bed." Lizzie offered, and Sidney shrugged in agreement.  
 _'What?'_ Kane's eyes sparked open in disbelief, then quickly squeezed shut, tight as he could. _'Sleep . . . don't slaughter . . . sleep.'_ He tried to calm himself.  
"Yeah . . . no funny business though!" Sidney warned. The group rambled on with small talk for a while longer. Kane felt an increasingly familiar ache in his gut. He didn't want to share her constantly with them. They would have her forever, he had to soak in every moment he got to spend with Carrie.  
"Ok. Ok, I'm sold. Room one twenty six Averse Inn. I shall see you there squirrelfriends." Carrie finally succeeded in sending her friends on their way.

In a dramatic nature Carrie collapsed to the floor, letting out a slight chuckle. "Tiring barrel of monkeys those three." After making two or three carpet angels Carrie finally stood and walked over to the bed. "Well goodnight Kane. I'm sorry for the whole breaking and entering fiasco . . . kind of my bad . . . I apparently didn't close the door all the way. In my defense I REALLY needed those skittles." Carrie seemed somewhat foolish speaking to someone who was passed out but she hadn't gotten to explain herself, and it was imperative that she did so.  
 _'Food . . . as always.'_ Kane found her one track mind somewhat endearing. Her light heartedness contrasted his brash personality, he saw in her an outlook he could never share, a window into a different world. _'How many slurpees do I have to invest in to get out of this dog house?'_ Kane knew he had dug himself a deep hole, one he was unsure if he could climb out of.  
"Don't be too mad at Janet and them . . . I mean the shower thing sure hold that over their heads till the day they die, but for the other stuff. . . I'm not sure why you have such a chip on your shoulder when it comes to them but . . . they're my best friends. I only have four to seven real friends so that means their top of the top. As much as they tease me they really do care."  
 _'Four to seven?_ ' Kane questioned the odd numbers. _'So friends . . . in Carrie's world taunt, endanger and give . . . what was it eighty six percent? And that's accepted? Even expected? Maybe that's why we became fast friends, I'm a perfect match for those requirements.'_ Kane's few and far between 'friends' over the years never had the bravado to tease him, not even the nutcases in the asylum. Perhaps that was why he was having such a tough time understanding the nuances of Carrie's friendships, he had only been in one on one friendships and even those were bumpy to say the least, a whole group was too much for him to handle.

"But they grow on you!" She paused, placing a finger on her chin wondering if there was anything she had left out.  
 _'Doubtful.'_ Kane's eyes rolled under their lids.  
"Oh! Don't worry about Sidney's nose. I mean the right thing to do would be to apologize."  
 _'When hell freezes over.'_  
"But somehow I don't realy think that's in the cards." Carrie chuckled knowing if the tables had been turned Sidney wouldn't have apologized either. _'Men and their egos . . . such a pain.'_ Carrie let out a soft sigh. "Sure he's a bit steamed now . . . blah blah blah broke me face! Me me me my problems! So forth and so on." Carrie chucked again, no one found Carrie Lories funnier than herself. "But you guys seemed to have had a bro moment there for a minute. I think he secretly gained some respect for you."  
 _'Over punching him in the nose? Does he know I dismantle people for a living?'_  
"I guess that's it. Now that I've heard myself talk it out maybe there's a chance I can condense that four part mini series sized speech into something you'd have the patience to hear. Again goodnight Kane." Carrie bit her lip as she hovered over him for a few moments. _'Oh what the hell he's already mad. You know what? Carpe diem.'_ Carrie leaned down and kissed Kane on the forehead. His eyes jolted open as if he had been struck by lightening. "Ahhhh!" Carrie shrieked out in surprise. 

"I scared you." He frowned before shuffling his weight to one side turning away from her. _'Idiot.'_  
"You surprised me." Carrie not to be ignored got on the bed contorting her neck so that her face was inches away from Kane's. "Pretending to be asleep, quite sneaky of you!" Carrie shook a satirical finger at Kane. "So . . . you've been awake all this time huh?" Kane was surprised to see Carrie's cheeks grow red, she was blushing.  
"Mostly." Kane gave a short nod. Inside he was panicking, despite sharing a bed for weeks Carrie had never seemed closer, he could feel her body heat as she laid awkwardly over him. ' _Say something idiot.'_ He just stared at her wide eyed till he thought of something. "Your friends are waiting." He reminded her begrudgingly. _'Sidney's bed is waiting. Are they more than friends? She shouldn't be with him.'_ The pedestal Kane held Carrie on would not be within the reach of any man, not even himself.  
"They can wait a while longer, it won't kill them." Carrie did her best to shrug. Though more familiar with physical closeness than Kane, this felt taboo, even dangerous. _' I shouldn't be doing this.'_ It felt right to her, resting over Kane's body, but she felt she was walking on egg shells, that the monster could at any moment throw her off with force. _'What are you thinking Carrie? What is he thinking?'_ Her brow scrunched as she tried to figure out what was going on in the mind of the monster, wondering, even hoping that it felt right to him too.  
"An hour away from you? I'd be surprised if they haven't spiraled into withdraw." Kane rolled his eyes, he couldn't help but grin slightly when the sound of Carrie's laughter hit his ears. _'She's not mad . . . she doesn't hate me. I haven't lost her.'_

"And whose the jokester now?!" Carrie reached out her finger and playfully bopped Kane on the nose. "This guy." She could feel they were both growing more comfortable with their present position.  
"It doesn't bother you?" He asked hesitantly. This question was Kane opening up the slightest bit, risking a heavy blow to his new found feelings. _'I have to know . . . what she sees when she looks at me.'_ He wanted to tell her to look past his appearance, to give him a chance to prove her right, that maybe he was a man, and perhaps even a man she could grow to care for even after her contract expired. He wanted her more than ever, as pessimistic as always he figured he had no chance, and part of him would never shake the paranoia of betrayal but still he wanted her all the same, he wanted this closeness to last. Kane decided against defending his image, he wouldn't force his opinion on her, he needed to hear from her own lips that he wasn't an abomination.  
"What doesn't bother me?" The only thing about Kane that truly bothered Carrie was his indecisiveness, one day they were thick as thieves the next he wanted nothing to do with her, she couldn't take it much longer. But she was fairly confident that wasn't the 'It' he was speaking of.  
"My . . ." Kane was beginning to let nerves take over, he was beginning to back out, but before he could, Carrie caught on. Moving from her lounging position she sat up, reaching out she placed her palms delicately on his cheeks.  
"This?"  
"Yes. Most of the scars have healed but still. . . . there's a reason people stare, there's a reason I wore a mask for so long."  
" It doesn't bother me Kane, not at all, and it's a shame it bothers you so much." Carrie began to run her thumbs along the features of Kane's face. Kane was in a state of literal shock, try as he might he could not move a muscle.  
"I'm sorry . . . I'm so sorry." For a second time her face grew bright red. " I had promised, I would respect your boundaries and here I am all up in your bubble, touching you all weird and unwanted." She took her hands back, shoving them shamefully in her lap. _'Dummy what are you doing? He asked you a simple question and you went and took it to a whole new level. Look how uncomfortable he is. You fucked up Carrie . . . you fucked up.'_ Carrie swore at herself before popping out of the bed. ' _He won't look at you the same after this. I ruined everything I worked so hard to get. I carpe diemed too hard.'_ She couldn't look at Kane instead she took two or three strides to get to her luggage in hopes to make a hasty escape, to avoid the awkwardness as long as she could. She didn't make it far, her wrist was wrapped in a thick grasp. Turning around she saw Kane standing stoically a somewhat blank look on his face. She could see uncertainty and apprehension stew under Kane's surface as he closed the gap between them.  
"Kane?" The silence in the room was deafening as neither one of them knew where to go from here.  
"I just want you to know. . ." Kane ran his free hand over his head before resting it on Carrie's shoulder. "I won't hurt you . . . no matter what anyone says . . . what anyone thinks. Carrie I will never hurt you." He stepped closer still, he leaned down to met her face hoping to see that she believed him. Carrie didn't speak, and as she tried to form a reply in her head something bizarre happened.

"Did you just sniff me?" She wasn't sure if she had seen it right, but she had watched Kane take some of her hair in his palm and hold it to his face.  
"You smell different than you usually do. I'm not a dog I wasn't sniffing you for the hell of it! It's just I haven't been this close to anyone . . . without punching them in the face for a long time, it made me notice-"  
" What do I smell like? I got a new shampoo. If it's over powering or like you know terrible, I can always change it. I have an abysmal sense of smell I didn't even bother really looking at the bottle, I wasn't expecting anyone to sniff . . . er notice a change in my smell."  
" It doesn't bother me." Kane shrugged as he gave Carrie's wrist a slight squeeze. "And it's green apples."  
"Huh?"  
"You smell like green apples." Kane smirked a level of confidence blossoming. Mustering up some of that confidence Kane let go of Carrie's wrist, placing his palm against her back he pulled her closer still, he could feel her face against his bare chest. His free hand trailed from the top of her head down to the ends of her hair, his fingers weaving in between loose strands embracing it's cotton like texture. Kane was taken by surprise as he felt Carrie's arms do their best to wrap around him.

"You're too big of a dude sometimes." Carrie looked up at him bright eyed and bushy tailed.  
"You should see me get into a cab." They both laughed briefly. Kane seemed less than excited to ask his next question. "That reminds me. Are you still going to your friends' place? It's late I can give you a ride." Kane pulled away not wanting Carrie to leave, but not wanting to make her feel boxed in by his large frame. Carrie could see by the way Kane's eyes shot to his feet that he was holding something back.  
"What? Is everything ok?" Carrie figured that once again Kane was going to change his tune, that something she had done or something in Kane's head had caused him to hate her.  
"Everything is . . ." Kane took a minute to analyze what had just happened. _'Great . . . this moment is perfect.'_ It had gone better than he had expected, not only was she not repulsed by him, she was willing to get close, willing to embrace him for who he was. "I don't want you to sleep in Sidney's bed." He voiced a thought that had been pestering him since he first heard the proposition. "I know you two are closer than the two of us." Despite their hug, he knew he was making a mountain out of a mole hill, that Sidney had more than likely shared an infinite amount of hugs with Carrie. "But I don't trust him . . . I don't like him." The mere thought of Sidney annoyed him.  
"Got that loud and clear when you broke his nose." Carrie couldn't help but laugh. "He'll grow on-"

"No." Kane replied sternly. "That's why I'm telling you . . . asking you to not sleep in his bed." Kane tried to shake his demanding tone, but it was one of reflex. "That nose of his will be the least of his problems if I find out he was inappropriate with you, jokingly or not. I'd break every one of his fingers if I knew he didn't keep his hands to himself. You . . . I don't want other people to-"  
"Find out I smell like green apples?" Carrie tried to beat around the bush.  
"Yeah." he chuckled. "That you smell like green apples."

"Well I can't guarantee that if not this time, there won't be another time Sidney and I share a bed. Hell all four of us slept in one bed our first night out of Oregon." She sped up her speech as she saw Kane's jaw begin to clench, his nose wrinkle and his shoulders rise in disapproval. "What I can guarantee is that there is absolutely NOTHING going on between Sidney and me. He'd rather stick his hand in a bear trap than get that up close and personal with me. Sidney's more of a brother than my friend, it'd be like incest or something. Trust me we are hands off to the highest degree." Carrie laughed as she pressed her point home.  
"Why would you all sleep in one bed?" Kane and Carrie had a hard enough time sharing a bed, he couldn't imagine throwing two more people into the mix.  
"Because we're poor." Carrie stated as if it was obvious. "Necessity is the mother of invention. We're less poor now though, we can afford two beds." She raised her hand for a high five but was left hanging.

"If you insist on staying with them I'll pay for-"  
"Don't get all chivalrous on me now. You're not paying for anything relax. Jeeze I wish Lizzie hadn't opened her mouth in the first place."  
"That's what I've been saying all along, they don't know when to shut up." Kane scoffed. _'It'd be a worthwhile investment. I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing that Carrie was laying next him. I'd spend the next month's pay if that's what it took to guarantee he'd stay away from her.'_  
"Lets make it easy. Assuming you're not still mad about . . . you know . . . that misunderstanding earlier, I'll stay here tonight. Kosher?" Carrie sat down on the bed and threw a pillow at Kane.  
"I had calmed down until you started talking about sleeping with Sidney." He pelted Carrie back with the pillow hitting her dead in the face.  
"Holy tits that hurt." Carrie laughed rubbing her nose. "And don't try to blame that on me you brought it up!" Carrie stood and sprinted over to Kane whacking him over and over with the pillow. "Do you even feel that?" Carrie laughed as her arms grew tired and she slowly ended her assault.  
"You're ridiculous." Kane shook his head at her. He yanked the pillow from her, tossing it over to the bed. He proceeded to lift Carrie off her feet, holding her a solid two feet off the ground.  
"You do that a lot you know? Ever notice that?" Carrie quite enjoyed being literally swept off her feet.  
"If people don't move . . . I move them." Kane gave another heavy shrug.  
"Where am I moving?" Carrie was grinning ear to ear and it brought a warmness to Kane's iced over, blood thirsty demeanor. 

"To bed. You need to sleep. You're always so tired. Like I said you don't take care of yourself. I don't want you to burn out . . . you just need to . . . I want you around ok? Alive and well, not down in the dumps taking shit from anyone who walks by." He placed her softly on the bed.  
"I get what you're saying." Carrie nodded, Kane was not the first person to believe she was short sighted and ambivalent to the tole on her body and mind her actions were taking. "But need is a strong word. One time I went four straight days . . . no sleep, I'm pretty sure my blood was transfused with caffeine." She proved Kane's point, she was either unable or unwilling to take care of herself correctly. Kane had little room to talk though, the hell he put his body through, the torturous labyrinth his mind had become, was mostly of his own doing.  
"What am I going to do with you?" Kane could see the hint of bags under Carrie's eyes, he had noticed all the tossing and turning she did in her sleep, he hadn't witness a seamless full night rest from Carrie. ' _And I'm sure that Sidney thought it was a great idea, encouraged it, then mouthed off when she didn't make it to day five.'_ All the attempted convincing in the world would not sway Kane's opinion on Sidney, it was set in stone.

"I can tell who you're thinking about just by the lemony look on your face. We can argue about all this in the morning OK?" Carrie let out a yawn before squirming herself under a bushel of sheets and covers. "Can we just sleep now?"  
"I thought you didn't need sleep?" Kane walked over to his respective side of the bed and laid down next to her.  
"I don't need to just want to." Carrie smirked before getting lost in a stare.  
"What?" Kane felt uncomfortable with the elongated eye contact. Carrie leaned over resting her head on his chest, lightening to his heart beat, noticing as it sped slightly. "Is this ok?" She wasn't sure if she was overstepping those boundaries she had mentioned earlier.  
"It's . . . just go to bed." Kane snaked his arm around Carrie's waist and in short order the pair fell asleep. 


	9. Monster or Man?

"Carrie?" Kane had lost her almost the second they had entered arena, when he caught up to a familiar group he called out her name.  
"No dice big guy." Janet shook her head, surprised that Carrie wasn't, as she had assumed, with him. Kane had no other use for talking to the trio so without another word he began to walk off.  
"Do you want us to tell her you're looking for her? Relay a message or something?" Lizzie tried her best to be accommodating. She was the calmer head that rarely prevailed, and the first one to realize that Kane and Carrie were slowly forming an even closer relationship.  
"Y . . ." Kane paused, he wanted it to be 'relayed' how reckless he thought it was of Carrie to run out of eye sight, but he didn't yet want Carrie or her friends to know how much danger she was in. Much like any other problem he faced, he felt he could handle it all on his own. Kane was sure the group would try to drag Carrie away from him at the first sign of trouble, and that he would not allow. _'Plus . . . you have to come to terms with . . . I have to get used to her not being around. What is it a week or so till she's out of my life for good?'_ He had been trying to ignore that fact, as the days passed, as they spent more and more time together, the closer they got, it made him want to block out the expiration date on their friendship. Over the past few days it had caused him to lose sleep, he would turn over and simply stare at Carrie, trying to soak up every fleeting minute. "No." He resumed his stomp through the hallway, his stomach lurching at the notion that no matter how hard he fought not to lose Carrie, in the end it would all be for nothing.

"Oh captain my captain!" Sidney gave a sarcastic salute to Kane's distancing back. "Not much of a talker huh?" He looked over to his friends to see if they were equally off put by Kane's cold shoulder.  
"You're no Carrie." Lizzie gave a shrug and a smile. She was fairly confident if Kane talked to anyone it had to be Carrie, they had been spending a considerable amount of time together lately, easily tripling that of the week before, it seemed implausible all that time was spent in silence.  
"That, and in case you haven't noticed . . . Dude hates your guts." Janet stated the glaringly obvious.  
"He's not exactly your biggest fucking fan either." Sidney mumbled under his breath. "You really think he talks to her? I just assumed he was a self centered dick." Sidney questioned with a heavy dose of skepticism. _'All I hear is him barking orders at her. Do this! Don't go there! Stop smiling! And he has the balls to say we're demeaning to her. How'd he like a taste of his own medicine?'_ He wished punching Kane in the nose would have the same effect the blow to his own face had. _'Who the hell does he think he is?'_ Sidney could not match Kane in strength, but they mirrored each other when it came to resentment.

"I mean I don't know." Lizzie had to admit Kane didn't exactly have a way with words. "But I'd like to think they have things to say to each other. If not yet . . . maybe he's working on it." Lizzie had almost a blind faith that there was more than met the eye when it came to Carrie and Kane.  
"I call bull!" Janet shook her head in disagreement. Janet lived in an instant gratification frame of mind, she figured if there had been a spark between Carrie and Kane it would have lit a fire by now.  
"Just admit it guys. I'm not sure what . . . but Carrie and Kane have something going for them and you know it! Can't we just be happy for them? You know supportive?" Lizzie would not let their cynicism keep her down.  
"No." Sidney replied without hesitation.  
"Whatever." Janet rolled her eyes. ' _Let her have this. Crushing her dreams is like killing a puppy.'_

Carrie had been on edge all day, her unease was exactly why she had ditched Kane at the first turn she could, she knew it would lead to another argument. _'You're just nervous . . . stage fright.'_ She tried to convince herself as she counted some deep breaths. Sure she was nervous about her first televised match with the company, but there was something else she couldn't quite put her finger on that was worrying her. She was frightened, she had a feeling in her gut that something bad would happen, that this day would not go smoothly in the slightest. She felt a wave of dread wash over her the more she thought about it. Part of her wanted to find Kane, wanted to be close to him, wanted him to hold her. She felt safe in his arms, she felt as though nothing could touch them in moments like that. _'He'd think you're losing your marbles.'_ Carrie smirked to herself. _'Running scared from . . . nothing but a bad feeling.'_ She knew Kane would hug her all the same, he would protect her from whatever nothing frightened her. They were comfortable with that level of embrace by that point, at least in private.

"Carrie!" Janet yelled out tackling Carrie into a wall with a thud.  
"Janet?! Cheese and crackers woman! Nearly caused me to jump out of my skin! Thought you'd have learned your lesson by now when it comes to sneaking up on people!" Carrie let out a deep sigh of relief as her friends assembled around her.  
"Sorry." Janet took a few steps back, surprised at Carrie's legitimately startled response.  
"Hey Carrie! Kane was looking for you!" Lizzie ignored Kane's earlier request, still following her connection instincts.  
"Did he seemed worried? Concerned?" It was obvious her friends had not caught the bad vibe bug. It was doubtful Kane, even if he was worried would have shown it, but Carrie still felt compelled to ask.  
"No. But you do, is everything ok?" Sidney questioned, already hip to the fact that everything was definitely not ok. _'What's wrong? Did something happen? Did he scare her?'_ He assumed the worst out of the big red machine.  
"I feel . . . It's stupid but I feel like something bad is going to happen. You guys alright? How about Kane? Is everything . . . normal?" Against her best efforts Carrie's mind raced with situations in which the people she care about most could be caught in harms way.  
"Everyone seems fine to me." Lizzie answered trying to sooth Carrie's fears. Looking to her friends, Sidney and Janet nodded in agreement.

"I know what it is!" Janet snapped her fingers. "First night jitters. You want this night to go perfect and it sent that paranoid brain of yours into overdrive." Janet smiled when she noticed some of Carrie's tense muscles loosen.  
 _'It sounds a little more believable coming out of someone else's mouth.'_ Perhaps ignorantly Carrie began to believe it was nothing more than nerves. _'Stop worrying Carrie.'_ She tried to snap herself out of this negative slump. _'Why now? Why start freaking out now?'_ She took a deep breath as she pulled all the confidence she had from within.  
"Maybe Kane will go out there with you. He'd make sure nothing bad will happen!" Lizzie suggested, now fully immersed in this matchmaking role.  
 _'Sure. No one is allowed within five feet of her . . . except for him and his twisted mind.'_ Sidney was bitter and angry at Kane for trying to use brute force to keep Carrie from him.  
 _'No need to waste his time. I'll go alone. He has enough on his plate. Honestly it's best if we keep our distance anyway.'_ Carrie shook her head.

"Or there's always that guy with the terrible wig!" Janet pointed slightly down the hall. The blood ran from Carrie's face as she saw who had appeared just feet away from them. "News flash dude! You're doing it wrong. Carrie might be into freaks . . ." Janet glanced over at Lizzie. "But not creeps!" She taunted the man looking Carrie up and down.  
"Real funny Janet." Carrie laughed to hide her intimidation.  
"Who is that?" Lizzie voiced her curiosity and slight concern, there was something not right about this guy.  
"Kane." Carrie sneered, the name seemed tainted referencing the cheap knock off.  
"I've seen Kane. Of no fault of my own . . . every inch of the man. By the way, is it weird that I saw your boyfriend's dick before you did?" Janet smirked.  
"You're an idiot." Carrie replied. In reality it did bother her slightly. Kane wasn't her boyfriend, but still knowing Janet had seen what was off limits to her was a bit upsetting.  
"You're the idiot1 You must be blind, cause that ain't Kane." Janet pointed again at the still staring man, a pudgy oaf wrapped in red, there was no doubt in her mind that he most certainly was not Kane.  
"The other Kane." Carrie and the impostor locked eyes, she was sure he hadn't blinked since he first found her.  
"Great there's more than one?" Sidney let out an unhappy sigh. One Kane was more than enough for his liking, now he had two behemoths in his life.

"In a way." Carrie trailed off, not explaining herself, still locked in a malicious stare.  
"You're not making any sense." Sidney rubbed his forehead, thoroughly confused and now somewhat annoyed. The heat emitting from the second Kane's eyes was boring holes through Carrie, turning her legs to jelly. Regardless she tried to keep an unwavering, uninterrupted aura as she slowly stepped closer to him.  
"Watch out Carrie! If you flirt to hard Kane will get jealous . . . of himself." Janet laughed at the awkward situation they were in. 

"Hey guys would you mind going on a quest for skittles? I have yet to find a vending machine with a single bag. I feel having that a sugar rush could really help me out later on." She thought of a lackluster distraction.  
"No! Absolutely not, you must be out of your god damn mind if you think I'm going to leave you with some seven foot stranger!" Sidney could not believe Carrie would even propose such a plan.  
"The faster you go, the faster you can get back. He might not look much like Kane, but I'm sure he's just as stubborn and I think he wants to talk to me . . . alone. If shit hits the fan I'll run, you know there's no one here I can't out run." Carrie tried to reason with a very skeptical Sidney.  
"Stubborn? So what Carrie? This guy could be twice the maniac Kane is for all we know, he could rip you apart!" Sidney shook his head defiantly.  
"I can out run you too." Carrie was forcing Sidney's hand. "It's going to happen one way or another Sidney."  
"Of course it is." He scoffed, knowing that if Carrie was so determined to talk in private there was not much he could do to stop her. "Fine. But if I don't see you in twenty minutes I'm calling in a swat team. I'm serious Carrie." Sidney spoke harshly to prove he meant business.  
"Twenty minutes, yeah yeah heard you, perfect. Time starts now." Carrie waved her friends off, a semi reassuring smile on her face.  
"Twenty minutes!" Sidney repeated.  
"We all got it ok?" Janet tugged on Sidney's arm. "Like she said faster we go faster we get back. My belly is agreeing with Carrie right now." A slight grumble stirred within her stomach as they slowly walked off.

Carrie and the imposter were now emersed in their first official meeting. Seeing him beaten down on her hotel room floor had been so brief it hardly counted. Kane had gone out of his way not to talk about the doppleganger. This was the man that made Kane anxious, it was almost as if Kane was afriad of himself, and what he was capable of. _'He's just a coward like Kane said. Percive no threat.'_ Carrie walked herself through a calm mindset before stopping infront of him. "You know what I think?" Carrie never got an answer to her rhetorical question. The silent brute grabbed both of her wrists and yanked her close to him, she bounced into his chest, she was so close she could hear his irregular heartbeat. She winced as he increased the pressure in his grip, she whrithed in pain as he clenched tighter still. Looking down at Carrie, his angry eyes almost smirked at her, relishing in her discomfort. Remaining silent, he lifted Carrie by her trapped wrists and with a slight toss he slung her over his shoulder.

"What?!" Kane finally relented turning around to see Carrie's friends whose calls he had been purposely ignoring for the last several minutes. "What do you morons want?" To his disappointment Carrie was absent from the group. For the second time that night it seemed as though Carrie had no desire to be around him. _'Is she avoiding me? What's wrong? What did I do now?"_ He felt a tug on his emotions. The two scenarios in front of him were either Carrie had gotten herself in some sort of trouble, or she was upset with him and going out of her way not to be around him. Both options left Kane at a loss.  
"Is Carrie with you? We got her skittles but can't find her anywhere." Lizzie lifted exhibit A: two fists full of skittles. " Sidney's about to have an aneurysm if we don't find her soon." She leaned her head to point at her visibly anxious and irritated friend. Kane slowly looked to his left then to his right, when Carrie didn't pop out of nowhere he looked back at her friends, an annoyed look plastered on his face.

 _'Good for nothing idiots . . .with friends like these who needs enemies, they lost her. Why is she sneaking away from everyone? What's going on? Did Sidney tell her to hide? What lies is he spreading now?'_ Kane wanted to place the blame squarely on Sidney.  
"I think I'm catching Carrie's bad vibe." Lizzie frowned, even the ever optimist was growing concerned. "Maybe you were right Sidney."  
"Gee you think? Where were you . . . approximately eighteen minutes ago?" Sidney looked down at his watch.  
"Huh? What are you blabbering about now?" Kane's pulse skipped a beat, if Carrie had gotten herself into more trouble he foresaw himself tearing the arena apart piece by piece to find her.  
"We were just chilling and then this-" Janet started but was abruptly cut off.

"Boo!" Carrie shouted as she put her hands on Kane's shoulders, trying to push herself up, or at least get her head past them. "Did I scare you?" She was wobbling on the tips of her toes, stretching herself over him best she could.  
"The hell are you doing?" Kane grunted as he moved to oblige her. He reached behind him, lifting her by the waist until her arms fell over his shoulders, her legs straddled his hips and her head rested alongside the crook of his neck. He felt slightly uncomfortable being so close in public, it was an awkward and somewhat nerve racking sensation.  
"Carrie! See you women worry too much." Sidney let out a relieved sigh.  
"Riiight." Janet rolled her eyes. "Hey what smells like burnt hair?" Janet lobbed her gaze upwards at the perched Carrie, knowing exactly where the answer would come from. 

"Well see . . . you know that parlor trick I do?"  
"Juggling flaming cards." Sidney nodded.  
"Yeah. So I was doing that to calm me down while I was looking for you guys and-"  
"Obviously." Sidney rolled his eyes then nodded a second time to prompt her to proceed.  
"Anyway. I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going and POW! A door comes flying open at me, while trying to dodge it one of the cards falls straight in my hair. Singed it good, is it that noticeable?" Carrie was surprised when she felt Kane's gloved hand rake through her hair. She had successfully broken through another 'boundary' of Kane's, it was a big step reaching out and touching her like that out in the open. She had forced herself on his back, but he was dutifully and gently combing through her hair of his own free will. She basked in their achievement till she felt Kane tense beneath her. "What?" Carrie asked quietly as she pondered what she had done to make the big man flinch.

"You burn your arm too?" Carrie's right arm had caught Kane's attention, he lifted it closer to his face. From the base of what seemed to be a roughed wrist to the end of her forearm was dressed sloppily with and ace bandage. He held it lightly as he turned it from side to side, examining every inch of her delicate skin. He could see some spots where blood had seeped through. ' _I know burns . . . and this . . . she didn't burn her arm. She hasn't even had her match yet. I'm sure she's hiding something, I'm sure it has something to do with that coward. Why won't she tell me? Why won't she let me protect her like I promised? What the hell happened?'_ He could feel his blood begin to boil, he could feel the heat of his face growing red, he could feel the surge or adrenalin, and most of all he could feel the desire for revenge. His jaw tightened, all this anger with no outlet in sight. 

"Well . . . no." She admitted cautiously, retreating from the spot on Kane's back that she had been clinging to. She clutched her arm to her chest in an embarrassed motion. Kane turned to her, seeing her face completely for the first time since they had separated.  
 _'She's afraid.'_ He could read it from the look in her eyes, they were restless yet meek at the same time. _'I keep saying it but I mean it Carrie . . . I'll make him pay. When I finally find him Carrie I promise, I'll make him pay. I'll protect you. I won't let him hurt my . . . friend like that.'_

He was lying to himself, he was no longer satisfied with being Carrie's friend. It was a combination of the lust, the time limit, the acceptance and the connection he felt with Carrie that was seamlessly transitioning Kane from friendship to aspirations he felt unobtainable. He wanted a relationship with Carrie, he wanted her to stay with him, stay by him, he wanted Carrie to be his. Kane felt magnetized to Carrie, almost bewitched. He had reached the point where he couldn't fathom being without her. However, the fear of rejection was too daunting for him to admit those feelings to anyone, even himself. He would suffer in knowing how badly he wanted her but remain silent, remain simply a friend because above all else he did not want to lose her, it was not an option, it would simply destroy him. He knew the weeks were winding down, that she had already made up her mind to leave, but any connection was better than none. The distance would sting but he held onto the hope that whatever bond they had would over power the miles that separated them. He hoped that they would see each other again, hoped that if not physically, emotionally she would stay.

"Kane?" Carrie could see how his eyes were glazed over, she knew the expressionless face of Kane when he got lost in thought. He did that a lot, she wished Kane would open up to her, explain what was going on in that head of his. She felt there was so much she didn't know about Kane, that he wouldn't let her know. Time was running out for her to pull Kane from his shell, and at the pace she was going the clock would surely beat her. "Kane?" She waved a hand in front of his face.

"He's checked out, a lost cause." Sidney quickly gave up on the monster. "So what the hell happened?" He tried to pry information from Carrie.  
"Well funny story . . . I broke a window with it." Carrie gave a nervous chuckle as she held up her forearm, gesturing it forward in reenactment. "How much do windows cost nowadays anyway? I'm probably going to be billed for the expense of fixing it. Oh skittles!" Carrie allowed herself to ramble on, hoping that it would cause the conversation to be derailed. She had no such luck, as she reached out for her treat Sidney positioned himself between Carrie and her skittles.  
"For any particular reason?" Sidney followed up with another question, it felt like he was pulling teeth. "You could have really hurt yourself!" This statement caught Kane's interest, his ears perked and his eyes studied Carrie's reaction.  
"Would you believe me if I said no?" Carrie answered with a question of her own, a pleading tone to her voice. It was Carrie's turn to stare off into the distance, her eyes locked onto a blank spot on the wall. She wanted to escape the scrutiny of her nosey friends but she was boxed in at every corner.  
"I can't believe you Carrie! Tonight you have your first and possibly only WWE match and you went and got yourself injured before it even starts!" Sidney took her arm and looked it over in disapproval.

"Well Sidney it wasn't exactly in my day planner! I had to get out of that storage closet somehow you know? Or I would've risked missing my match all together! Not me, I couldn't live with myself if I let that opportunity slip through my fingers. I worked hard for this! Desperate times call for desperate measures." Carrie blurted out most of what she had been holding back.  
"Why the hell were you in a-"  
"Stop the presses! I got it!" Janet's mind made the connection before the others had put two and two together. "That guy locked you in a fucking closet? I knew he was weird but that's . . . beyond weird. Why would he do that? Did he want you to miss your match?" You could see the lightbulbs go off in the heads of Lizzie and Sidney.

"What guy?" Kane's protective nature shot into overdrive. He didn't know if she was referencing his doppelganger or some new threat, as always it didn't matter to Kane. He held back his rage, he had to dial it down a notch, he felt himself teetering on the verge of possessive and that was a road he did not want to go down.  
"The-"  
"Janet shut the hell up!" Carrie snapped placing a finger up in the air to punctuate her statement. This was as far as she would let this go. _'This is exactly what he wants . . . he wants Kane to be distracted by a silly need to protect me. My arm will heal soon enough, I can't let him get to Kane, I can't let him hurt Kane.'_  
"What did he do?" Sidney asked adamantly, knowing Carrie was stonewalling them as he tried to force his way through to the whole truth.  
"Who?" Kane's voice bellowed through the hall. _'What is Carrie . . . Who is Carrie hiding from me? I already know about the masked maniac, is someone else on our coattails? Does she not trust me?'_ Kane had a confused and bitter lock across his face.  
"Nothing, nothing! He trapped me in that closet and did nothing! He talked, for someone who should be silent he just wouldn't stop! I couldn't get him to stop!" Her voice cracked as she held her palms against her ears, the horrible things the man had tried to drill into her head played like a record in her mind.

Kane swayed on his toes, not exactly sure what measures to take to console Carrie. Eventually he took two broad steps towords her and rubbed a large hand across her back.  
"It will be ok, I promise." He leaned down to whisper to her. "Carrie I won't let him . . . or anyone else hurt you. I'd kill them first." He pulled her close, cocooning her in his wide hold. Carrie was stunned, eyes wide open in surprise that Kane was growing bolder, even showing signs of what could be seen as affection, in his own threatening way.  
 _'Don't fool yourself Carrie. Don't fall head over heels like an idiot. I leave in a week or so . . . we'll say that we'll keep in touch but give it a month or two, he won't remember your name.'_ With Kane's true feelings cloaked in mystery Carrie forced herself to take into consideration that perhaps, as Kane often said, he wanted to be alone in the long run. She sighed as she came to the troubling realization that she was, against better judgment, falling for Kane and there wasn't anything she could do about it. She felt foolish, the thought of Kane feeling the same way seemed outlandish. He had only recently accepted her as a friend, what was the likelihood they could cultivate anything more in such a short period of time? As close as the two had gotten, their separate insecurities were keeping the two apart. They both were beginning to want something more, but they both felt it was a lost cause, that the other did not, or rather could not feel the same way. "Well I got to get ready . . . stretch and prepare and stuff. Wish me luck!" Carrie put on her best look of determination as she broke from Kane's hold.  
"Good luck!" Her three friends answered in tandem.

"Oh snap! You do like Carrie don't you? Lizzie I guess you were right!" After seeing Kane's body language, perhaps Carrie was the only person who couldn't see it spelled out in front of her.  
"She's not interested." Sidney had all intentions to nip this in the bud.  
"Sidney you don't know-" Lizzie was cut off before she could disagree.  
"Who locked her in the closet?" Kane demanded answers, ignoring their trivial debate.  
"From what I got . . . You." Sidney shrugged, he still didn't fully understand himself.

Quite sure the worst was behind her, Carrie made her way closer to the curtain, her match was next. Mid stride down a seemingly empty corridor she was shoved against a wall. "Ow fuck!" She rubbed the back of her head which was growing tender seeing as this was not the first time that night that she had made such a collision. As she refocused she noticed that she was stuck, a long stocky arm at either side of her and a mammoth frame blocking any escape from view. "I hope you know I didn't tell him! He doesn't know. He's not coming!" Carrie though frightened felt a twinge of pride in proving that she didn't always need Kane to save the day.  
"You're wrong." Was his muffled response.  
"Huh?" Carrie bit her lip. _'Is there something he knows that I don't? Was this a trap within a trap?'_  
"He does know." He cocked his head to one side as he stared at her. "He knows that I've been stalking him and his precious pet for some time now. He knows, and might even appreciate it. He knows what it's like to stalk your prey . . . to toy with it . . . to make it suffer in every way imaginable until finally you get bored . . . and you do what monsters do . . . destroy. He knows because he's just like me, Kane is me and we-"

"You don't do him any justice! Hiding behind someone else's mask that's pitiful. You two are not the same, not on your best day." Carrie had finally gained a small victory she could see that statement chipped at the statue slightly.  
" Deny it all you want Carrie, but Kane is everything you hate about me, I've learned everything about Kane, I have combed through every moment of his life and embraced it as my own. This mask is just a symbol of the fact that we are two in the same. Remember that as you step deeper into Kane's inferno, he's just as sick and twisted as me. But maybe that's what excites you. Knowing that the soulless monster could snap at any moment. Does the anticipation get you off? To know that he will tear you to pieces when he finally realizes how worthless you really are? You know you deserve a creature like him, and that's what gets you all hot and bothered. Or maybe you're settling with Kane, most women don't know they can't do better than a mangled, psychotic has been. Is that it?"  
"Just because you think you know everything about Kane's past doesn't mean-"  
"I don't just think, I KNOW. I know Kane inside and out. Which brings me back to my first point."

"What do you have a whole fucking slide show presentation about this? I don't want to hear anymore!" Carrie shook her head trying to ignore all those slimy statements. She assessed her options, she knew he wouldn't just let her walk away, she knew fighting him was out of the question, if she yelled for help she wasn't sure how long it would take, or if anyone would even take up the challenge to help her. " I might be worthless, but you're down right scum, you're nothing . . . You don't compare to Kane at all, no one cares whose under there. You're a mask and nothing more." And with that Carrie leaned up and spat in his leather bound face. When he recoiled Carrie took her opportunity to run, sprinting for the curtain.  
" You're wrong, I'm not nothing and Kane will make me famous, everyone will know who I am! You also don't understand Kane like I do. You're so proud of yourself, think you're so brave for keeping our conversation a secret. I don't need to have Kane face to face just yet, I didn't need you to bring him to me. I've got all I need, I've got his past." He spoke out loud though Carrie was long gone.

Kane had parted ways with the three musketeers after gaining what little information they had on the impostor and his interaction with Carrie. _'I'll kill him . . . I swear if he touches her I'll kill him! Why does this always happen?'_ He flipped a table on the way to his dressing room. _'Why can't I hold onto anyone without them getting hurt?'_ He clenched and unclenched his fists as he grew angry at the world. _'I'm seven feet tall, I'm three hundred plus pounds, I crack skulls for a living why is it I can't PROTECT anyone?'_ As he grew closer to the door he noticed something was taped to it. "The hell is that?" He squinted trying to make out the mystery item.

 _'A polaroid? Who the hell takes polaroids anymore.'_ As he got to the door he realized the dated film was the least unusual thing about the photo. The picture was of Carrie and Kane leaving the hotel. He knew exactly what moment this was. It was from two days prior, they were heading to a gym, Carrie was pulling him through the doors, holding his hand in hers. Kane had wanted to sleep late that day, but Carrie had been in a hurry, she said she wanted to get back in time to take Kane to see the movie little miss sunshine. Once she had taken his hand, she could've yanked him straight off a cliff, all he had been focusing on was how Carrie's skin felt and his need to be gentle with her. It was odd enough that someone had taken such a random shot of them but what was most alarming was the writing scribbled in red marker over Carrie's side of the photo. Her body was almost completely obscured by one word. "Katie." He read the name out loud before crumpling up the picture in his fist. _'He's mocking me.'_ Kane constantly felt he was being laughed at, it was his biggest pet peeve and whoever was after him was exploiting that fact. This scene seemed oddly familiarly, he contemplated it a moment longer before beginning a long stride to where he hoped Carrie would be. _'It can't be DDP can it?'_ Years prior DDP had taken up an interest with Undertaker's wife. Taking candid photos posting them around in an odd shrine to Sara. Was it possible DDP was up to his old tricks using some brute to do his dirty work while he sat comfortable in Atlanta? Cogs were churning in overdrive as Kane's pace sped up. Or was it Undertaker himself? No one knew Kane's torturous past better than his own brother, of which he was always on shaky terms with. Could he have taken a page out of his own previous tormentor's book and used it against Kane? Another option was Edge, the ultimate opportunist was pulling strings from every angle it wasn't out of the realm of possibilities that he had enlisted the skills of a stalker to get at Kane. Is that why he had placed Carrie in Kane's lap? As all these and countless other theories spun through Kane's head only one thought resinated. _'I need to find her. Before he gets to her again I need to find her. I need to protect Carrie.'_

"Introducing second, accompanied to the ring by Kane, Carrie Lories" Lillian Garcia's voice echoed through the arena.  
"What? Kane?" The short lived confidence Carrie had built up went sailing out the window along with all the color in her face at the sound of his name. She held her breath, unsure which Kane would come up and meet her.  
"Couldn't find you." Kane nudged Carrie slightly, prompting her to move. Carrie let out a sigh of relief only to suck the air back in as a gasp.  
 _'This is exactly what he wants!'_ Her brow scrunched in concern as she lead Kane out to be a sitting duck. "You shouldn't have . . . you didn't have to come." She studied the ramp as she walked, trying her best to seemed not frightened but rather preoccupied. She was studying it so hard she didn't even realize her walk had slowed to a crawl. Kane nudged her a second time to point out she needed to speed up.  
"Payback." Kane gave a curved smirk as they reached the outskirts of the ring.

"For?" Carrie looked nervously over her shoulder, waiting for terror to come stampeding after them. ' _He's messing with my mind.'_ She ground her teeth as she noticed the level of paranoia she had reached. Kane's stomach turned, his smirk shriveled into a grimace at the sight of Carrie's face, it was yet again full of fear, her smile still stood but her eyes gave her away. He knew what was causing her such panic and it cut to his core that he couldn't seem to protect her. It wouldn't stop him from trying. He hadn't tagged along for payback, he had come to make sure no unexpected harm came her way.  
"Last week I distinctly told you not to come to my match. Where'd you end up? Smack dab in the middle of it." Kane leaned against the ring post as he watched Carrie slip between the ropes. Carrie had no desire to refute his logic and responded simply with a nod.  
 _'You're a selfish person Carrie, you'd rather have Kane here watching over you than in the back where it's safe.'_ She chastised herself but still did not argue with Kane's presence.

Trying to ignore all the drama, Carrie finally took in her surroundings, and the woman standing in the ring waiting for her. _'You can do this Carrie. Confidence, perceive confidence.'_ Carrie gave herself a quick pep talk before the bell rand. Carrie took one last collected breath, but that stall was all Lita needed, she had pulled Carrie's feet from under her and went for the quick pin. "One!" A hand slammed the mat. Carrie quickly rocked her shoulder off the mat.  
"I might not be a seasoned competitor, but trust I'm no push over either." Carrie was quick to get to her feet. She was slightly insulted by Lita's attempt to pull one over on her.  
"I guess not, maybe there's a reason you're here." Lita and Carrie collided, grappling for the next executable move. Kane watched as the two women sparred from one side of the ring to the other, heavy chops being traded off.  
 _'They're similar. I knew they would be, Lita chose her. Carrie isn't Lita though, she's different.'_ Kane wanted so badly to believe that, but after day and night drilling the thought women equal pain, it was hard to shake while in the presence of the woman who had scorned him. His battling philosophies ping ponged through his head as the two women flung off the ropes, both simultaneously hitting a clothesline. The match went on an on, back and forth. Lita was known for her dare devil stunts and she was using that skill to the best of her ability but her stamina was waning with each flourished move. Carrie had been more or less biding her time, occasionally boxing Lita in the corner with a line of punches, but finally a real opportunity presented itself. As they both stumbled to their feet after a Litabomb Carrie caught Lita in a sloppy sidewalk slam. Carrie was winded but she opted to go for the cover over catching her breath.  
"One. Two. Three." The words rang sweetly in Carrie's ears as she fought to catch up with her lifted hand, stumbling as she did so.

 _'She's no joke. I guess there's a reason you're here too.'_ Carrie outstretched a hand, helping Lita to her feet.  
"I hope you know." Once standing Lita distanced herself. "I let you win." Lita took the wind out of Carrie's sails for a brief moment.  
 _'No one is going to keep me down.'_ Carrie was on cloud nine, her smile continued to grow. "Oh well, a win is a win." Carrie shrugged. "If that was the case to what would I owe such a gift?"  
"Brains too." Lita nodded in appreciation. "Edge wanted you here to keep him at bay." Lita pointed over at Kane. "I had my own reasons. I'm not the most popular diva in town, maybe some time down the road I'll need you to have my back." Lita had it on good authority the woman's locker room had not exactly welcomed Carrie with open arms. They were both misfits in their own way, and an alliance among misfits could be a dominant one. "And hey! He's more afraid of you than you are of him." Lita nodded over in the direction of Kane who was impatiently waiting for Carrie outside the ring, his annoyed eyes glued to the pair. On that note Lita was done sharing wisdom, she slid out of the ring and into Edge's hungry embrace.

"How'd I do?" Carrie asked Kane who seemed to be in a hurry to leave the area, Carrie had to jog just to keep up with his long strides. "Kane?"  
"What did . . . You did good." Kane sighed running a hand over his head, he didn't want to ruin Carrie's moment, but he was still irritated at the sight of her casual conversation with Lita.  
"Well thanks." Carrie was still smiling from ear to ear, her cheeks were burning from how far it stretched. "Holding something back? It's alright I can take it." Carrie gave Kane a playful punch in the shoulder, he froze right before the curtain.  
"I don't like her." Kane's nose wrinkled as he glanced back at the happy couple waltzing their way closer. Carrie nodded thoughtfully before speaking.  
"Understandable." She spoke as she made her way through the black fabric. Kane blinked stupefied as if he felt betrayed by her lackluster response. "Is that off in the distance stare mean you think neither should I?"  
"Maybe. She-" Kane's large shoulders rose and fell into a shrug. _'She has no reason to hate Lita. She owes all this to Lita, but what Lita did to me . . . that can't be ignored.'_  
"You two ended on bad terms and-" Carrie found the most neutral way to put it.  
"She screwed me over!" Kane bit back, neither of them would let the other get a full sentence out.  
"You railroaded her into marriage." Carrie could immediately tell she had struck a sensitive cord, all the energy seemed to seep out of Kane's already placid face and rigid body.

"You don't understand." Kane's head sunk inward, as if he was a turtle receding into it's shell. _'No one understands me, no one will ever understand a freak like me, no one will understand what I've been through.'_ He scanned the perimeter for any sign of an exit. For a long five to ten minutes a silence lingered over them as they walked, Kane walling himself off, Carrie trying to think of the best way to respond. Kane by that point was not even looking over his shoulder to see if Carrie was following.  
"No." Carrie grabbed Kane's hand in her drastically smaller fingers, Kane stopped at the feel of her touch but did not turn around to look at her, the brutish monster was still hurt by her words. "No I don't understand all that over the top . . . whatever . . . that transpired between you two, and you know what? Probably never will, but . . . that's ok." Carrie wove her fingers within Kane's as she stepped closer to him. She bobbed and weaved till Kane was forced to look at her. "There are things I don't understand about you . . . and there are things you don't understand about me, and probably never will . . . and that's ok. I could huff and puff about it, or just accept it for what it is and move on. It's totally fine if you don't want to try and explain what happened, but don't let this one thing make you close off completely, please we're trying so hard." Carrie squeezed Keyness hand slightly.

"What makes you think I want to be understood?" Kane's defensive nature erupted to the surface as he yanked his hand back. "What makes you think I understand myself? I'm a monster, if you knew what went on in my head, Carrie you'd keep your distance. The less you know about me the better." Kane felt the best way to keep Carrie was to seem normal, to do that he needed to hide a good portion of himself away, it was proving too difficult of a task, leading him to lash out at her. _'No one understands me, no one ever will.'_ A new mantra pulsed through his head.  
"You can't mean that?!" Carrie could see all her hard work turn to dust, Kane was isolating himself yet again. Kane had been burned before, by people he thought were getting to know him, that wanted to be close to him. It was the part of him that wanted companionship so badly that always scorned him.  
 _'Not this time, not another Lita . . . not another X-Pac not another Tori . . . I'm not as dumb as I look. I want you Carrie, but wants and needs . . . they're not the same thing. I'll protect you . . . I'll be your friend . . . but I won't . . . can't let myself be vulnerable to you.'_ Kane had every reason to be weary, since he could remember, anyone he ever trusted, ever cared for ever loved, had betrayed him, used him for personal gain and when he was no longer useful, they threw him aside, stabbing him the back on their way to bigger and better things. His mind was telling him to be smarter this time, his feelings were arguing that Carrie was different, it was an ongoing tug of war, confusing both Kane and Carrie. "Exactly, you'd never understand, you have no idea what I've gone through, and what it's made me." He looked at his up turned palms, calloused hands from years of fighting against adversity. "They call me a machine Carrie. That's because it's easier to go through the motions, than get lost in my demons." His palms curled into fists. "Just leave me alone for a while Carrie. Go celebrate with your friends." He felt a desire for violence, to make someone bleed, to pay someone back for all the things that had been done to him. Kane worried if they kept this up he wouldn't be able to stop himself from making that person Carrie. "Please just go!" He barked when he saw that Carrie had not budged.

"Not without you." Carrie did her best to stand her ground.  
"Did you not listen to a word I just said?" Kane's voice grew louder in aggravation.  
"I heard you. Kane I want to prove to you, that there are some people that see the man in you, not the monster, not the machine, when I look at you I see Kane. . . Just Kane. Please just give it a shot! If that's not intensive enough I had all intentions to go out to a bar and get completely plastered tonight and that means my friends would have to carry me home and-"

"Sidney would end up dropping you on your face." Kane scoffed with his usual skepticism of Sidney's competency as a a friend, this was not helping bring down his rage. He began to weigh his options. He could go back to the hotel, where he could be alone, have some peace and quiet and time to sort through his thoughts. Downside being, if he did that, his thoughts would get the best of him and he'd grow anxious, knowing Carrie was out somewhere drunk, with no one to take care of her. _'I can't have her stumbling around impaired especially with that stalker out to get her.'_ As angry as Kane was, his desire to protect Carrie was absolute. His other option would be to accompany Carrie to the bar, be completely miserable, surrounded by people, debauchery, loud music and Sidney all of which were on the bottom of the list of thing Kane felt he could deal with at the moment. The only upside being it would apparently make Carrie's day, and he could make sure Carrie was safe. _'I wonder if she's a sloppy drunk? Am I going to have to hold her hair back as she pukes after she gets this . . . plastered.'_ Kane grimaced at the thought.

"Fuck it nevermind, just forget it." The look on Kane's face fed into a theory she had been forming.  
 _'Why is she getting so mad over a night of drinking? She knows I don't like people, why would she even ask?'_ Kane was taken aback, he was used to being the one who lost his temper, the one who yelled, but here was Carrie snapping back.  
"I didn't know going to the bar with me would be like going to the gallows! You're a man not a monster Kane, I'll say it till I'm blue in the face, but the man you are can be a real jerk sometimes! I'm over this, I can't do this agin, I'm done with this back and forth nonsense, I'm done with everything." She shook her head as she began to storm away from Kane. _'I know he has trust issues, and I know gaining that trust would be slow moving, but every time we move forward, when I think of friendship is finally stabilized, he just shoves me back, over and over again. I won't play this game anymore.'_  
 _'Done? With everything? With me?'_ Kane reached up a hand, wanting to grab her, wanting to pull her back, but both figuratively and literally she was out of his reach. ' _What just happened? I didn't mean to hurt her feelings.'_ Kane walked off in the opposite direction. _'But that's what you do . . . hurt . . . inflict pain . . . man not a monster bullshit.'_ He made his way to the locker room.

"Carrie you were great!" Lizzie scooped up her friend in a hearty hug.  
"Thanks!" Carrie gasped for air. The smile she had greeted them with wilted slightly once Lizzie let her go, Carrie was torn between joy from her victory, and frustration from her fight with Kane.  
"'Your overwhelming amount of excitement is making me uncomfortable, bring it down a notch ok?" Janet's voice dripped with sarcasm. _'What happened now?'_ She rolled her eyes. Carrie's life had been playing out like a soap opera since they got to the company.  
"Not sure why you're all grumpy gills, sure it has something to do with Kane." Sidney always needed to squeeze in his disapproval of the big red machine any chance he got. "But maybe this will cheer you up. I figured your pre match sugar rush has been depleted so I went to a corner store and TA DA." Sidney held up two ziplock bags, one brimming with assorted skittles and one filled with solely green skittles, her favorite flavor.  
"Ha! That does cheer me up." Carrie was finally able to genuinely smile, she was pushing her argument with Kane to the side. _' No use crying over spilt milk I guess.'_  
"Maybe you forgot, but you won! That should be cheer enough." Janet couldn't understand why Carrie was in such a pessimistic mood. "Whatever. Lets celebrate! Already picked out a bar and everything, time's a wasting." She clapped her hands together eagerly at the prospect of mirth and merriment.

"What would you have done if she had lost?" Kane came up behind Carrie.  
"What did you guys go to the same optimism seminar? Quit marshing my mellow!" Janet rolled her eyes again, smirking at her clever play on words.  
"Kane?" Carrie looked over her shoulder, shocked at his sudden appearance. _'I thought he wanted to be left alone?'_ She studied his face, it had a look of determination etched across it.  
"We would've just given Carrie the green bag and got black out drunk to forget the loss." Sidney shrugged. _'Great, the bully's here.'_ Sidney's face soured, knowing where this conversation was headed.  
"Just the green? Why? Superstition?" Kane glanced down at Carrie. _'Quirky group.'_ He had returned with the single goal to mend whatever he had done to her, to talk her off the ledge, before she threw him aside like the others. _'I overreacted . . . again, that's what getting to her I know it. I can't keep doing this . . . I can't keep losing control, it's just too much. Between Carrie, her friends, Edge, Lita, that masked idiot. I can't keep a level head.'_ Kane was rubbing a hand up and down the adjacent arm, trying not to get riled just thinking about that mess. It had taken him a long walk to cool down from his previous rage. As he attempted small talk he could only hope that Carrie had calmed down too.  
"No. Can't do red food dye when I drink . . . it doesn't sit well. Bleck, I end up getting sick and it looks like I'm puking blood." Carrie shook her head, still trying to figure out what caused Kane to pop back up.

"When are we going?" Kane made sure not to make a sickened face at Carrie's response.  
"It'll take us about an hour to get ready." Lizzie pointed between herself and Janet. "So anytime after that I guess."  
"We?" Carrie was sure she hadn't heard Kane correctly. "We as in all of us? As in including you?" Her big blue eyes opened wide in surprise as she continued to stare up at Kane.  
"Lets go before I change my mind." Kane grunted. Taking Carrie's hand in his they began to walk off.  
"Kane . . . at the bar . . . didn't see that coming." Janet watched as the pair turned a corner.  
"He's doing it for Carrie." Lizzie was almost bursting at the seams, wanting to scream I told you so.  
"Great, fantastic, Kane out celebrating, alert the presses, story of the century." Sidney huffed, not nearly as thrilled about the change in plans.

A/N: I know this chapter might not have seemed worth the wait, but I needed it to set up for things to come. Hopefully I'll get the next chapter up soon.


	10. Name Game

"Hell-o?" Carrie answered the phone in a sing songy tone, assuming it to be Sidney or Lizzie on the other end of the line. "Really? Oh my god how are you? How'd you get this number?" Carrie plopped down on the bed as she listened. Kane exited the bathroom after finally getting changed, curious as to who Carrie was talking too. "Seems about right." Another long pause. "Yeah I won isn't that great?" Carrie had a childlike giddiness to her voice. Kane crooked his head to the side as he continued to speculate, he couldn't gather much from only hearing one side of the conversation. "Next week? I don't have a match but . . . you'll be there? Fisher don't say you're coming and then-"  
"Carrie?" Kane finally announced his presence.  
"Kane. Oh Ok Fisher I have to go, we're going out to celebrate! Yes I said Kane . . . Yes the one that came out to the ring with me, how many other Kane's do you know? … Yes he's coming. . . No we're not dating. . . Great, option's still open Fisher got it, still not going to happen . . . I said no Fisher . . . I'm sure you will . . . Yes Fisher I'll drink one for you. Go tell Olivia I said hi, now I really have to go Fisher, Sidney's a stickler for punctuality. . . This sounds like a long story Fisher I'm hanging up now." Carrie laughed as she placed the receiver down on the hook. "Ready?" Carrie finally turned her attention to Kane. This was the first time she had really seen Kane outside of his ring gear or sweats, he was wearing dark jeans and a dark red polo that was slightly snug and ill fitting around the arms but that couldn't be helped. The boots were the same, they were either the most comfortable shoes on earth, or the only ones Kane could fit into, Carrie hadn't yet decided. "Well look who got all handsome for a night out on the town." Carrie smirked, appreciating him putting effort into a night she knew he was dreading, as well as appreciating how well he cleaned up. She found herself staring at him, trying to figure out after Kane's hight what was her favorite feature. _'His arms maybe?'_

"Who was that?" If Kane had the ability to blush he would have, but monsters don't blush. _'Maybe she isn't mad anymore.'_ Carrie much like Kane was hot and cold, happy then enraged, it was a difficult balance for Kane to comprehend from the outside looking in. _'Still you have to appolo . . . you have to make things right before it's too late.'_ He would not say sorry, It was a word simply not in his repertoire but he knew what he had done to hurt her, and he felt he still had a chance to fix it.  
"Oh um Fisher, a friend of mine, he lives in the area . . . kind of I guess." Carrie scratched the top of her head, Fisher was always ' in the area.' when it came to her. "You might meet him next week. I mean if he gets there before the contract termination . . . or gets there at all." Fisher was flakey at best, she wasn't holding her breath that he would keep his promise to show up.  
"Another friend, great." Kane rolled his eyes imagining another Sidney. "What's it to him if we're dating or not?" Kane did not like people sticking their nose in his business, his far off hope that Carie could one day be his was especially off limits, it was a fragile dream and he didn't want anyone to damage it.  
"Don't pay him any mind, Fisher is a lost cause playboy. Any time I'm around he brings up the 'option' as he says it to get back together." Carrie placed up air quotes as she shrugged, wondering when Fisher would give up on the idea that it would ever happen.  
"Back?"  
"Yeah he's an ex from like two years back, we staid friends and all that good stuff though. "Why?" Carrie was surprised by Kane's new found interest in her love life.  
"Just . . . forget it. Listen don't talk about your contract anymore tonight alright? I don't want to ruin your good time." Kane gave an uneasy smile, knowing he had pried to much, and knowing Carrie had taken notice.  
"I . . . Kane if there's . . . like you said forget it! Let the good times roll!" She took his hand and began to pull him out the door.  
 _'Trying to get back with her? Who the hell is he? An idiot just like I thought.'_ Kane couldn't imagine anyone letting Carrie go. _'I'm letting her go.'_ He reminded himself as he watched her gallop down stairs. "Carrie . . . would you ever-"  
"Huh?" Carrie had been half a flight down when Kane started speaking, she could barely hear him, even with his powerful deep voice.  
"Where are we going?" Kane had lost his nerve, backed out of the question he truly wanted to ask and opted for a simpler one.

"Oh it's some place called the Ivy, Sidney says it's a dive bar, which is right up our alley. There's a pool table, that's all Janet wants, a jukebox so Lizzie says there might be dancing to be had . . . and the beer is cheap, what more could one ask for?" Carrie again took Kane's hand once they reached the bottom of the stairs, it was now second nature to her, it just felt like the right thing to do.  
"I'm not dancing." Kane put his foot down, his voice monotone and adamant.  
"I didn't think so." Carrie couldn't help but laugh at the thought. "Don't worry I won't drag you to the dance floor, just make sure I don't dance with any creeps or weirdos, deal?" Carrie knew dive bars had some colorful characters in them and wanted to learn from past experiences.  
"I'll be watching." Kane nodded as they reached the cab. Carrie squeezed in, wedging close to her friends, it appeared there was no room for Kane's bulky body to fit in. "I'll get the next one." He had no intentions of even attempting to force his way in there.  
"No no it's ok. Just sit on my lap." Carrie patted her upper thighs, worried if she left Kane behind he would never follow.

"You're delusional." Kane scoffed. _'Does she not see me?'_ He looked down at his own legs in comparison to hers, he would crush her. _'Sometimes I think she must be looking at someone else.'_ Kane could tell Carrie was serious about her plan.  
"Carrie I know you think you have thighs of steel, but how bout we take that plan, flip it and you could sit on Kane's lap." Janet suggested a far more practical idea. Kane gulped, hard, he didn't know if he could handle Carrie being that close, more importantly he didn't know if his body could handle it without giving him away.  
"It's a trap!" Sidney shouted forcing himself over the three women to warn Kane. "Don't do it Kane!" He waved a aggressive finger in the air to emphasize his point.  
"Huh?" Kane snapped out of the concern over lust to acknowledge the flailing man yelling at him. Kane looked down at Carrie, confused.  
"She will hit you in the testicles! It's like her lap has a honing beckon for the most sensitive part of your crotch, trust me! Don't let her sit in your lap, you and your balls will thank me later." Sidney warned with vigor of a great sage.  
"That came out . . . weird." Lizzie contemplated Sidney's words.  
"That happened twice Sidney." Carrie felt she had to explain herself.  
"Three . . . at the very least three . . . tap me once shame on me, tap me twice-"  
"No the third time was on purpose that's different, I elbowed you in the nuts going for gold." Collectively Sidney, Kane and the cab driver winced. " And I don't know why you're still pissed about that." Carrie folded her arms in frustration.  
"Why I'm still pissed? You elbowed me in the nuts you crazy bitch!"  
"Hey! Watch your mouth." Kane finally inserted himself into the conversation, when his instinctual protective nature kicked in. He was growing annoyed with all the yelling, he took Carrie's shoulders and placed her outside the cab, he'd take his chances.  
"You falcon punched me!" Carrie was going to go on but she stopped to snicker as she watched Kane try to contort himself into what seemed like a clown car in comparison to his large size. "You're right, that was funny!" Carrie was now out right laughing, remembering when Kane had told her how comical similar attempts had been. Kane surprisingly didn't snap at her for laughing at him, instead he just smiled back as he slouched and snaked to try and find himself a comfortable position.  
"Carrie reconsider, don't sit on Kane's lap!" Sidney pleaded.  
"Uh..." Even Carrie was beginning to believe Sidney's hype.  
"I can't believe we're still talking about this, just get int the car." Kane reached out a long arm and began to pull her into the cab.  
"Janet cover Kane's balls!" Sidney demanded.  
"What?!" Kane and Janet had the same shocked look on their faces.  
"The fuck is your problem dude? You seem to be taking a particular interest in Kane's junk right now. Honestly it's making me feel uncomfortable for him. And so help me god Janet, if you lay one finger on Kane's testicles there will be a reckoning the likes of which you have never seen!" As her rant ended Carrie did her best to carefully sit on Kane's lap. For a moment he considered playing along with the running joke, but decided the humor would be momentary and not worth it in the long run.  
 _' Out of the frying pan and into the flames . . . no thank you . . . I don't need any more heat from her.'_ Kane let out a sigh, glad he had caught himself before making another mistake.

"I just want everyone to have fun ok? Even you two." Carrie pointed between Sidney and Kane, hoping the two could coexist if only for a few hours.  
"Well I was trying to have a bonding moment . . . and you ruined it, thanks a lot." Sidney huffed. Once Kane saw Carrie's smile falter he punched Sidney in the arm, not in a playful friendly way, but with his usual brute force. "OW!"  
 _'I guess that's just a pipe dream.'_ Carrie rolled her eyes.  
"That was your attempt at male bonding? Talking about horrific ball related incidents? No wonder you have so few guy friends." Janet laughed, she found uncomfortable situations funnier than most.  
"Shut it!" Sidney scowled, he had enough teasing about having mostly female friends in high school he didn't need any more.

"Alllllright! All this anger is getting us nowhere. Um anybody know any good jokes or anything?" Lizzie gave an awkward chuckle. She had remained quiet through the whole debate but was trying to calm everyone down. "Remember we're supposed to be having fun!"  
"Jokes? What's next madlibs? We're not eleven, we don't need car ride activities." Sidney snapped, he still hadn't cooled off yet.  
"Ouch." Lizzie frowned, the night hadn't even begun and it was already going south.  
"Oh Oh I got one, pick me!" Janet waved her hand in the air feverishly.  
"Go for it!" Lizzie was glad at least someone was playing along.  
"What did the one tampon say to the other?"  
"Ok joke time is over!" Sidney rolled down the window sticking his head out, hoping they were approaching the bar.

The road grew bumpy, Kane wrapped an arm around Carrie's waist and placed his free hand on top of her head to act as a barrier between it and the roof of the car. When she bounced there was a slight cushion. "Smart thinking! I wouldn't have figured that out on my own." Carrie craned her neck to smile back at Kane.  
"When you're as big as me, your head bumps in to a lot of things. Either you have to adjust, or invest in a helmet, and that's chore in itself." Kane tapped a row of knuckles against his skull before placing his hand back on it's resting place. _'Smart thinking . . . don't hear that every day.'_ Kane was known for his brawn not for his brains, he was smarter than most gave him credit for. Kane gave a legitimate laugh as he felt Carrie's hand flop around behind her, trying and eventually succeeding in finding the top of his head, resting her palm against it, returning the favor. "Thanks." He tussled her hair slightly as she joined in his laughter.  
"Anytime big guy!"

"Thank Poseidon we're here!" Sidney exclaimed, he barely waited for the car to stop before rushing to get out of the cab, he paid the driver as he breathed in fresh air. Carrie gingerly rose from Kane's lap in fear of proving Sidney right. Once standing she outstretched a hand to help Kane out, he brushed her off getting up on his own. He could see a small glitch in Carrie's smile but as always it quickly reformed.  
 _'Carrie . . . stop doing that. . . don't hide from me . . . you don't have to.'_ Kane could not stand her poker face, it made his stomach tie in knots. Carrie began to skip towards the door but was brought to a stop by a hold on her wrist. She turned to see Kane's long arm attached to a clammy hand, looking up at his face he seemed apprehensive, even nervous. Carrie tried to calm him, adjusting her fingers to interlace with his, she gave his hand an encouraging squeeze.  
"Don't listen to Sidney, I won't hurt you." Carrie leaned over to whisper as they passed through the doors.  
"I never listen to Sidney." Kane grumbled. _'Won't hurt me.'_ It was if Kane had experienced an epiphany. As he felt how tenderly she guided him, he finally believed her, he finally trusted her, a considerable chunk of his long standing wall from the world had been chipped away.

"There's a table!" Lizzie shouted and they quickly shuffled their way to the vacant spot. Kane tried to use normal everyday social cues and pulled a chair out for Carrie, wanting to ensure she sat next to him, any other way would be unbearable.  
"I'll sit in a minute. What does everyone want?"  
"I buy you fly!" Janet rummaged through her purse before pulling out some cash. "A firefly and red bull."  
"A rolling rock please." Lizzie put her finger up in the air as she placed her order.  
"Kane?"  
"A soda." He shrugged. "A coke I guess." Kane hadn't touched alcohol since the accident years ago.  
"So a firefly, a rolling rock, a rum and coke . . . and whatever you two goons are sharing." Janet pointed between Sidney and Carrie, winking over at Kane.  
"I don't want-"  
"'Its alright to have a little fun sometimes Kane. Everyone does it, come on loosen up." Lizzie tried to coax Kane to join in the celebration.  
"I . . ." He thought about explaining the traumatic incident, but once he saw Carrie's chesire grin he couldn't bring himself to ruin the mood. "I don't like rum." He gave another annoyed shrug, knowing he would be forced to compromise.  
"Jack and coke?" Even Sidney was trying his best to include Kane.  
"Whatever." Kane dug into his pocket to pull out money but was stopped by the sound of palms hitting the table.  
"I said I got this round idiot! Don't try to hustle in on my game." Janet shook her head. "You can get the next one big guy, impress your lady friend and all that."  
"Ugh." Kane stared over at the Budweiser clock. ' _Four minutes down, three hours to go.'_ He let out a heavy sigh.  
"Sidney be my extra hands!" Carrie demanded and in short order they walked off in search of the bartender.

Kane placed his elbows on the table, digging his chin into his palms as he waited for Carrie to return.  
"So Kane, what's new?" Lizzie watched as Kane's unenthusied eyes lulled over in her direction.  
"What?"  
"He was busy checking out Carrie from behind, he wasn't listening. Her ass in those jeans am I right?" Janet chuckled stretching her arms behind her head.  
"I wasn't staring!" Kane retorted with forced. "I was just . . . I need to look out for her." Kane trailed off, a place this crowded made him uneasy.  
"Aw you big softy." Lizzie smirked. Kane remained stoic and silent, his eyes glued to Carrie as watched her hips sway and spin to the song 'Killer Queen.' A soft grin finally worked it's way onto Kane's face, a warmness washed over him, he was happy, Carrie seemed to be having a good time already. He still hated being in the bar with every fiber of his being but seeing Carrie happy almost made up for it.  
 _'Not a total waste of time.'_

"Lizzie?" This was the first time Kane had addressed any of Carrie's friends by their name, Lizzie annoyed him the least so she was his best option.  
"Huh? Yeah?" Lizzie's eyes bolted open in surprise. Kane motioned her to move in closer.  
"What's the secret? I want to know!" Janet felt sorely left out.  
"None of your business." Kane hissed in a hushed tone.  
"Then how is it her business?" Janet frowned as she pointed over at Lizzie. "Carrie your man is-"  
" I wish there was an off button on things like you. Just shut up!" It was Kane's turn to slam his palms into the table, shaking the wood slightly.  
"Will you just tell me the secret?" Janet practically whined.  
"No." Kane replied in a monotone voice.  
"We already know what you're going to say." Lizzie tried to pull Kane back into conversation before he and Janet got in a yelling match. Kane simply shut down, no sign of talking, he began tapping his foot, hoping Carrie would save him soon. _'How long are they going to be?'_ Kane looked back at Carrie and Sidney impatiently.  
"I mean it has to be about Carrie right?" Still Lizzie got no response.  
"Have you two done it yet?" Janet blurted out a question she knew would rile him up.  
"She's not a filthy nymphomaniac like you. Don't talk about her like that!" Kane rose from his seat, glaring down at Janet. _'She has no respect for Carrie, throwing around her looks, and her personal life like it's a joke. Done it yet? What kind of low class question is that? She sounds like . . . like him.'_ Kane had to take a deep breath, trying not to think about the impostor and the garbage that came spewing out of his mouth. After a long half minute standoff Kane finally sat back down.  
"See subtlety and kindness will get you nowhere Lizzie. I got him to talk." Janet did not bat an eye at Kane's outburst.  
"So . . . we all know . . . you know, how close you two have gotten. Are you going to ask her out already?" Lizzie dismissed Janet's tip.  
"No." Kane was keeping his answers short and to the point.  
"Oh." Lizzie could not hide the disappointment in her voice. "Cause Kane I think you two would make a pretty good couple." She tried to end on a positive note.

"Who is Fisher?" Kane did his best to ignore Lizzie's statement but that didn't work out well. _'A couple? Me and Carrie? What do they know about how close we've gotten?'_ Kane got lost in thought as he caught another glance at Carrie. Reaching over heads Carrie waved vigorously at him, he gave a slow wave back. _'I want her. . . I want Carrie to be in my life. I want her more than anything . . . anyone.'_ Amidst day dreaming he barely heard the beginning of Lizzie's sentence.  
"Surprised you know that name. Fisher is Carrie's on again off again boyfriend for the last-"  
"It's always better to be on a boyfriend than off one if you ask me." Janet interjected.  
"No one asked you." Kane bit back.  
"Well if you've heard of him you probably know he'll be here next week. But if you-" Lizzie was cut off again.  
"Doubtful." Janet rolled her eyes.  
"Why wouldn't he?" Lizzie gave Janet a shove between gulps of beer.  
"Shut up they're coming." Kane warned.  
"Short story shorter." Janet took a deep breath. "Fisher is a prick, a lovable suave prick, thing is no one loves Fisher more than . . . Fisher, his needs come first if you know what I mean. Don't get me wrong he's a great guy, they were a cute couple, Carrie really got along with his kid, all that good stuff. It was all rainbows and butterflies. What ruined it was Fisher has that bigger faster stronger complex, onto the next model, dropping it like it's hot, that same old story. Good fun, but a horrible boyfriend, probably the second worst person in Carrie's life, and unreliable as shit. That's why I'm not betting on Fisher even showing up. Get it? Got it? Good." Janet squeezed that whole paragraph out in that one long breath. "Hiiiiii!" She gave an obnoxious wave in an attempt to not give away that she was airing all of Carrie's dirty laundry. Sidney and Carrie had finally made their return, balancing five drinks and a pitcher between them.

"Hello." Carrie looked from side to side waiting for someone to fill her in on whatever she missed. "Sorry." Carrie whispered to Kane as she placed down his drink, assuming sitting with Lizzie and Janet must've been hell for him. Kane again pulled out her chair, he felt slightly accomplished when she finally took it.  
"Cheers!" Sidney held up his drink, the rest of the group following suit. "To Carrie's smashing success!" Their glasses clanked harshly, before they all took a sip.  
"Thanks guys." Carrie grinned, she was red in the face, slightly embarrassed by all the attention.  
"Good job." Kane muttered, doing his best to seem excited to be there. _'Will she be crushed? If this Fisher doesn't show up? Is it possible . . . for me to have a chance?'_ He mulled over Lizzie and Janet's words.  
"Drink! Drink! This alcohol isn't going to down itself guys! Maybe this will finally loosen Kane up!" Janet leaned across the table and tried to massage his giant shoulders.  
"Get off of me!" Kane swatted her arms away. Taking the straw from his drink he hastily began to chug. _'Anything to help.'_  
"Like a fish." Carrie laughed as she took a sip of her hard lemonade, smiling ear to ear as small talk ensued. Kane watched her, grinning slightly as he relished the moment.  
 _'Stay happy Carrie.'_ This was the smile that Kane wanted to stay on Carrie's face, her genuine smile, not some awkward facade. The night passed on slowly, eventually Kane did loosen up, talking a bit more, laughing occasionally, even able to carry on a conversation with Sidney that didn't end in violence.

By the time they had all forgotten the number of their drinks Kane finally had to break the seal. "Excuse me." Kane stood, his head bumping into the lamp above. "Either I got taller or the room is shrinking." He rubbed the impact point.  
"I don't think . . ." Carrie paused to snicker. "I don't think you can get much taller Kane." Carrie laughed. Janet gave Kane two thumbs up in an attempt to remind him of Carrie's preference for taller men. "And you . . . aren't going anywhere yet." Carrie folded her arms, as she stood, turning a cheek towards him.  
"Huh?" Kane didn't understand the odd behavior.  
"The toll duh." Carrie rolled her eyes as if she was stating the obvious.  
"Toll?" Kane was wondering if he hit his head harder than he had thought.  
"Carrie, he's not actually your boyfriend." Sidney could see Carrie was fairly buzzed and was not thinking clearly, about the difference between Kane and her other friends.  
"Huh?" Kane was thoroughly confused by this point. _'Not her boyfriend?'_  
"Carrie just move!" Lizzie didn't want Carrie to do or say something she'd regret, ruining all of Lizzie's hard work.  
"Fine, fine. Here I am trying to include Kane in the group and . . . Oh" Carrie placed both hands over her mouth as she realized what she had almost done. Quickly she pulled her chair forward allowing Kane to pass.

As Kane squeezed through he yanked Sidney up by his hair, pulling him along for the ride. "The hell?!" Sidney shouted as he spilt a quarter of his beer, struggling to keep pace with Kane. "Party foul dude! Party foul!"  
"Lets go." Kane couldn't care less about party fouls and wasted beer, he had something else on his mind.  
"It doesn't work like that! Guys don't do bathroom buddies." Sidney complained as Kane continued to drag him. Janet rescued Sidney's beer as it sloshed back and forth in his loose grasp.  
"I didn't ask for your opinion." Kane plowed through the crowd with ease, Sidney in hand.  
"What was that all about?" Sidney finally stopped struggling and Kane finally let go of his scalp, allowing the smaller man to walk on his own.  
"What just happened there?"  
"Where?" Sidney tried to play dumb.  
"Why did you all shut Carrie up?" Kane knew he was missing out on something at least mildly important.  
"It's nothing . . . go piss." Sidney shrugged over at the bathroom door. Kane did not move, his will would outlast his bladder. "Fine . . . stubborn asshole." Sidney mumbled the last part.  
"I'm getting impatient." Kane sneered.  
"Getting impatient? You're always . . . you know what never mind." Sidney shook his head knowing arguing with Kane was futile. "We all have this thing, whenever you have to get up from a bar table, you have to give the person next to you a kiss on the cheek . . . it's just something stupid we do O.K? Was that worth all that trouble? Happy now?" Sidney felt as if he had betrayed a friend's trust, and it was leaving him heated. Kane didn't answer, he simply walked into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.  
' _She wanted me to kiss her? I don't . . . my face doesn't repulse her? She said it didn't bother her but . . . my skin . . . it's nothing like hers. I'd only disappoint her, she must be drunk, I should flag her.'_ Washing his hands he imagined what it would be like even to steal a simple peck on the cheek, it made his pulse spike.

"Carrie what is this bullshit you're playing?" Sidney could be heard shouting from the other side of the wall.  
"Let her do what she wants it's her day!" Kane barked as he swung open the door.  
"Maybe you're not hearing the same shit I am Kane. That is some weird techno . . . remix version of what I think is I want to dance with somebody by Whitney Huston. It only goes down hill from here, ABBA, En Vogue, hell Sir Mix a lot is not off the table. I've been down this road before Kane, trust me you're playing with fire here, it will-"  
"Was that supposed to be funny?" Kane grabbed Sidney's throat. "Because I don't find it funny."  
"Funny?" Sidney wheezed, backing up a few paces when Kane finally decided to let him go. "You're impossible. Not everything is an attack, not everyone is out to get you. The world doesn't revolve around you. Do you act this way with Carrie? I'll find out by hook or by crook and if I find out you're-"  
"I would never hurt her!" Kane went to grab Sidney again, but in a remarkable feat of self restraint he stopped himself.  
"So just me?" Sidney rubbed his throat as he looked up and the big man skeptical.  
"Trust me, not just you." Kane could see their table from where he stood but it appeared to be vacant.  
"Whatever guy. I'm going to go put a stop to this." Sidney began to shuffle and elbow through the crowd, it was slow going but he moved fast enough to lose Kane.

It was much easier for Kane to pass through, his broad shoulders created a path for him, he was only stopped when Janet popped out from the sea of people. "Hey!" She stood between Kane and any forward motion.  
"Move." Kane rolled his eyes, he needed to have a few more drinks to tolerate Janet one on one, he was simply too sober to deal with her. The sound of commotion reached his ears he moved his head from side to side trying to find Carrie. _'I let her out of my sight for one minute.'_ Part of him grew concerned that maybe they had been followed, maybe HE had found her again.  
"No." Janet spread her legs slightly to make it even more difficult for Kane to get by.  
"I will make you if I have to. Move." Kane was growing more irritated by the second, especially as the noise from the end of the bar grew louder and louder.  
"Open your ears. N . . . O" Janet snapped back. "Look that's nothing you want a part of. There's a pool table right there, we can have way more fun back here, put those muscles to good use." She put her hands on his chest and began to move lower. Kane could hardly believe what Janet was doing.  
 _'How drunk is she?'_ Kane ripped her hands off of him, feeling slightly guilty from her touch. "Get off of me!"

"Leave me alone Jackass." Carrie's words could now be heard over the crowd.  
 _'What now?'_ Kane began to push Janet aside so he could get by.  
"They're my bills, that's my music, back the fuck up!" As Kane continued to stomp through he could see Carrie and some stranger in the midst of what appeared to be a heated argument. He felt a tugging on the back of his shirt, Janet was still trying to force him to stay.  
 _'I hate bars.'_ To eliminate Janet as a distraction he turned around and lifted her over a shoulder, carrying her with one arm in a King Kong type maneuver.  
"Kane put me down!" Janet began to punch at those muscles she spoke of earlier, Kane ignored what felt like soft taps on his back and continued to walk. He didn't make it far before another road block appeared in front of him.  
"Kane it's cool Carrie's got this. No biggie, don't lose your lid." Lizzie tried to reason with Kane, trying to make him overlook the fight Carrie was in.  
"I don't know what your major malfunction is, hell I don't even know you!" Carrie was now shouting, as the man invaded her personal space.  
"No but you're about to!" The man got closer still, they were nearly nose to nose. Carrie couldn't help but snicker at the cheesy line. "I'm fucking Steve Conner, I got plaques up on the wall, I practically run this place, you're the nobody!" He gave Carrie a shove.

Kane's teeth were grinding, the man had two strikes against him, he was far to close to Carrie for Kane's comfort and he had put his hands on her. Kane planned on getting to that jukebox before Steve struck out. "Sure she does." Kane placed Janet down and with a level of tunnel vision he passed right by Lizzie. Sidney was the last line of defense between Kane and the altercation. "I don't have time for this. Move." Kane was literally shoving people out of his way.  
"Listen, she doesn't want your help. She made us promise to let her fight her own fight. Carrie told me she doesn't want you to constantly clean up her messes."  
"Why is he getting so close? What is possibly worth fighting over?" Kane craned his head to one side trying to pick up bits and pieces of the continuous yelling. _'I don't plan on cleaning up this mess.'_ Kane was hell bent on creating a new mess, pounding this Steve person into a stain on the floor. _'I don't care about their stupid promise, or Carrie's guilt about pulling me into her fights. I made my own promise, I promised I'd protect her, someone gets in a fight with Carrie. Wether she likes it or not, they're in a fight with me.'_  
"Honestly this one isn't entirely her fault. This . . . I guess his name is Steve, was heckling her music, totally understandable, where the real trouble started was when he snatched the money out of her hands. Carrie did not take that particularly well. It doesn't help that Carrie and the king of the bar over there are both wasted." Sidney actually wanted Kane to go throw his weight around but Carrie had been so adamant he felt she left him no choice. _' She promised not to hit him if we kept Kane away.'_ There was someone else leaving Sidney no choice, Kane took Sidney's face in his palm and pushed him to the floor, finally allowing Kane to make it through to the edge of the fight.

"Carrie!" Kane called out to her, letting her know the calvary had arrived.  
"Kane? Damn. I guess three against one didn't really slow you down. Uh . . . look away, everything is under control, I don't need your help I swear I got this. Go play pool or something, I'll be back before you know it." She felt embarrassed, they had caused such a big scene she couldn't back down, but she didn't want Kane to constantly have to bail her out. _' I just . . . I get ahead of myself, my temper bit me in the ass, again. This has nothing to do with Kane though, he doesn't need to step in. I made my bed now I have to lie in it. Plus I can take this guy, he can barely stand.'_ Carrie stood her ground. The word pool made Kane cringe, thinking back to the way Janet had tried to stop him.  
"Who is that? Your boyfriend? Stay out of this pal, this is one puddle you don't want to step in!" Steve slurred, not taking into consideration the David and Goliath size difference between Kane and himself.  
"So what if I am?" Kane broke through the gap, placing a hand on Carrie's shoulder and casting a shadow over Steve. "It's none of your business. I suggest-"  
"Well you must got a big wallet or a big Cock, you can't catch any tail with a face like that." The drunk pointed up at Kane, whose self restraint was quickly waning. _'Puddle I don't want to step in. He'll be nothing BUT a puddle when I'm done with him. I'll break him in half, I don't like being mocked.'_ Kane's hand went up to his own face, trailing down his what he thought to be disfigured features.  
"You're a Gargoyle, even that cunt Can see that!" Steve's finger was now directed at Carrie. By the time Kane's fingers reached the end of his cheek he balled that hand into a fist, Steve had swung his third strike.  
"You don't know shit!" Carrie swatted Steve's finger out of her face. "I'll tell you what Kane doesn't have. A big fucking mouth that he can't back up. Come on Kane it's not worth it, lets go back to our seats." She knew this profanity ladened fight was going nowhere good fast, she could see Kane was ready to explode. _'He'll kill him. He'll skin him alive'_  
"Yeah, yeah go back to your seats. Go at it with your freak, talk about a face only a mother could love. How do even kiss something like that." It was not obvious why Steve's aggression was now directly solely at Kane, perhaps it was something chauvinistic.

"Something? I'll show you something." Carrie had to lean up just to pull Kane down towards her, she planted an enthusiastic kiss, nearly crushing her lips against Kane's. He didn't move at first, stunned, overcome with sensory overload.  
 _'Smells like green apples, tastes like lemonade.'_ Kane finally got the wherewithal to kiss her back, he held her face in his big mitts not wanting the kiss to break, not wanting to lose this euphoric feeling. He didn't care that the kiss was just to prove a point, that Carrie wasn't thinking all that clearly, all he cared about was this single moment. _'No pain.'_ Eventually they did have to return to the real world, someone was saying Kane's name, causing the couple to pull apart slowly. Kane scanned the room trying to figure out who had put an abrupt end to his short lived happiness.  
"I told you that was Kane, he's not hard to miss!" A duo of apparent wrestling fans approached what was now the center of all attention. "Can we get a picture with you?" One man handed Carrie a camera in hopes she would snap the photo. She promptly dropped the camera, she began to rake her hands through her hair nervously as she jolted backwards.  
"Oh my god Kane I am soooo sorry!" A half shout, half gasp rushed out of her mouth. _'What did I just do?'_  
"Hey I know you too!" The one fan scooped up his camera off the floor. "You're the girl Edge bought for Kane. I thought you two hated each other."

"Ha I knew it! You are a whore! And the hunchback couldn't even afford you on his own." Steve gloated. Kane grabbed Steve by the throat, a flash went off, this was better than any posed picture could be.  
"Kane, Kane relax don't-" Carrie grabbed the hand that was crushing Steve's larynx.  
"Relax? I won't be talked to like that! He had his chance to shut up and walk away and he didn't take it. If You thinks you can taunt us like that and get away with it, you're not just drunk, you have a death wish. I've hurt people for less, much less." Kane's grip tightened.  
"Kane I'm not twenty two anymore, I can't be getting kicked out of bars. Lets just sit. Please? We were having a good time, I ruined it and-"  
"Did you play all your music?" Kane was staring Daggers at Steve as he slowly let go of his throat. "If you have a single nickel of hers, I suggest you hand it back."  
"Here take it! I think your friend should ask for a refund on this one." A few crumpled up ones were thrown in Carrie's face.  
"That's it!" Kane cocked a fist up in the air to lay a punch, but Carrie wedged herself between him and Steve. For a moment it seemed as if Carrie would blow a gasket but then she grew almost uncomfortably calm. She moved from Kane's side and approached Steve, still stone faced.  
 _'Wait for it.'_ There was a specific cue she was fishing for, she slowly moved closer till she was literally stepping on his toes. 

"Get off me bitch!" Steve gave her a rough shove, Carrie stumble backwards a few steps before swinging, connecting a heavy right hook. Immediately after she flung her arms up in the air for everyone to see.  
"Self defense, he shoved me first, I feared for my life!" She wanted every patron to hear her, another flash went off. _'Thank you officer Dan, the lesson on starting a fight without starting a fight comes in handy a lot.'_ She had stepped on quite a few toes in her day. "If this all wasn't a sign we should go, I don't know what is." Carrie sighed, she won the battle but not the war, king of the bar would remain and they would most definitely have to leave.  
"Finish your music." Kane suggested as if nothing had happened. He would not be forced, intimidated or other wise move from where he stood till he was good and ready. "Here play all the music you want, go crazy." Kane smirked tossing her his wallet. The smirk withered as he approached Steve who was in a seated position on the bar floor rubbing his jaw. "One word. Just one." Crouching down Kane held a single finger in Steve's face. "I'll crush your voice box with my foot. You know why? Steve YOU stepped in a puddle you shouldn't have stepped in. Thank your lucky stars that tonight I'm being patient, civil, and generous. I'm not good at either of those things Steve. You know what I am good at? Destruction, Brutality, Wrath, they come a lot easier to me, I like them a lot better. You disrespected Carrie . . . You disrespected me, that's not a smart decision Steve. I wouldn't push your luck any farther. If I hear your voice, I will stomp it out of you, I will pulverize you" Kane's voice was eerily calm as he detailed his threat. Steve could see the massive size of Kane's boots and knew it wasn't an empty threat. Basically throwing up the white flag of surrender Steve stood up and scampered off into the crowd in the direction of the door.  
"That was . . . intense . . . to say the least." Carrie walked to Kane's side patting a hand on his shoulder.  
"I proved my point. Play your music . . . I need a drink." Kane let out a heavy sigh as he made his way back to the table, exhausted and confused.

"I'm proud of you, for letting Carrie handle that, well for the most part." Lizzie sat across from Kane. "Congratulatory drink for not beating someone up?" Lizzie was able to pull a small smile from the overworked machine.  
"Sure." Kane had forgotten Carrie had hold of his wallet, a free drink would eliminate the need to walk back and get it. Lizzie with haste went and bought another round.  
"To self restraint." Lizzie lifted her bottle.  
"Hmph" Kane scoffed as they gave the bar a scan, looking for where the remainder of the group was.  
"Sidney is helping Carrie and Janet is . . . busy." Lizzie nodded over at Janet who was more or less straddling some stranger's lap. "What's up?" She could tell Kane had something to say. Kane clenched and unclenched his fists staring down at the table, contemplating exactly what he wanted to say. "I've been thinking . . . about what you said earlier." Kane squeezed his eyes shut, looking as though he was in legitimate pain.  
 _ **'Don't get your hopes up, like the man said, a face only a mother could love. You don't stand a chance Kane.'**_ The voice started up again.  
"Can I tell you a secret?" Lizzie could tell Kane would battle with himself over this for hours, and they simply did not have that kind of time, closing time was fast approaching.  
"Sure." Kane nodded as he rubbed his temples.  
"Are you alright?" Lizzie was growing concerned, Kane seemed paler than usual.  
 _ **'Oh you're far from alright Kane. You're losing it again.'**_  
'Be quiet!' Kane sat frozen for a minute before he answered Lizzie. "What's this secret?"  
"Well I guess two secrets. First being, Carrie isn't always as drunk as she seems." Lizzie and Kane both turned to look down the bar at Carrie and Sidney who were singing loudly and off tempo with the third Ace of Base song they had played in a row.  
"Hate to see her when she's drunk." Kane let out a short chuckle.  
"Oh don't get me wrong, what I mean is . . . she plays up her drunkenness. She's a slow drinker and sometimes just has to pretend she's as drunk as everyone else till she can catch up. So Carrie is very much so drunk, but that wasn't the deciding factor in what-"  
"She seems to do that a lot." Kane cut her off in a somber tone.  
"What? Pretending to be drunk?"  
"Pretending." Kane shrugged. "No one smiles that much and really means it. She's faking a smile, pretending to be happy, all the time. I don't get it." Kane shook his head as he pondered his own question. _'Who is she trying to catch up to? Who is she trying to fool?'_

"Oh, that, yeah." Lizzie nodded. "I think it's a nervous tick of her's, like a defense mechanism or something. She's smiled like that as long as I've known her, around the clock smiles, even when everyone knows she sad or angry or cranky . . . it's just what she does. I asked her, I asked Sidney, Carrie plays dumb and Sidney says not to talk about it, they both get upset when you bring it up. That's not my point though! My point is Carrie is fair to medium drunk right now, not black out blithering idiot drunk though. Which brings me to my next point, that wasn't just a peck on the lips Kane, that was the real deal. The second secret is, it's no secret, you two aren't fooling anyone." Lizzie chuckled as the mood finally lightened.  
"Huh?"  
"We all see how you look at her, how she looks at you. You guys are inseparable, and complement each other nicely. You guys both have crushes on each other and everyone knows it but you two. And it's adorable!"  
"Adorable." Kane repeated flatly.  
"This is the part where you're happy . . . and go ask Carrie out, and fall and madly in love and-" Lizzie rambled, getting frustrated that Kane had little to no reaction to her words.  
"Why?"  
"Ok maybe I'm rushing it with the whole fall in love thing, but the reason you're supposed to be happy is you two-"  
"Why would you think Carrie has a crush on me? What do you think anyone, much less her would find desirable about me? Sure that kiss was great, but it won't happen again, we're friends and that's all we'll ever be. It's funny." Kane's laugh was far less uplifting than Lizzie's.  
"Funny?"  
She's so close . . . she's right in front of me, and if you want to call it a crush that's fine. I have this crush . . . and there's nothing I can do about it. There's nothing about me I can change to better my odds. You say she looks at me the same the same way I look at her, when I look at her I see the most important person in my life fading away. When she looks at me I don't know if she really sees me . . . the real me. She sees someone else, she has all this hope all this tenderness for this person she sees, but it's not me, thats not the look you give a monster, a demon. I would tell her to stop but . . . it feels . . . it feels good to be looked at that way, I'll steal it while I have the chance."  
"Kane I'm telling you, I know . . . for a fact . . . Carrie has a crush on you. Trust me she knows you're a monster. She's getting that loud and clear, in surround sound, you keep saying it . . . Sidney keeps saying it, we get it . . . we all get it. Carrie doesn't care, doesn't bother her one bit. Just keep shoveling hugs her way and you're golden."  
"Huh?" Kane's mind was buzzing, ideas bouncing from side to side in his brain, he was getting confused.  
"Have you ever seen Carrie's face when you hug her? She looks like she could just live there forever." Lizzie tried to pierce through Kane's self doubt. He didn't say much the rest of the night, lost deep in thought barely acknowledging when the bar began to clear out. It was time to go.

 _'We're going home, what do I do now? Do I do anything? If Lizzie's right I have to do something, soon. If Lizzie's wrong I need to act like tonight never happened. Which is it?'_ Kane was growing nervous.  
 _' I am such an idiot! Look what you've gone and done Carrie! How are you going to explain yourself? How can you justify forcing a kiss on a man that loves his personal space more than anything else in the world? I just . . . I get really carried away when I drink . . . I'm more impulsive . . . I go after what I want, whether they like it or not.'_ The air was crisp and quiet as they all waited for their ride. Once the cab arrived the group filed in, Carrie seemed even more hesitant to sit on Kane's lap.

"So . . . what did the one tampon say to the other?" Janet laughed.  
"Ugh what?" Sidney finally relented but Janet couldn't finish the joke, she couldn't stop laughing.  
"Nothing . . . they're both stuck up bitches." Carrie delivered the punch line to scattered laughter.  
"You ruined it!" Janet pouted.  
"I saved it. Jokes are all about comedic timing."  
"That's it, you're not invited to the after party!"  
"After party?" Carrie's eyebrows rose in question, she had no idea that the drinking was going to continue. _'Well I could go . . . pass on the alcohol, sober up, and think of what I should say to Kane. It shouldn't be that hard . . . it's not like I regret it, I have to buck up, I have to tell him how I feel. Then deal with the consequences, either he'll accept it or never talk to me ever again and hate me till the ends of time. . . one of the two.'_  
"Alright you can go!" Janet was gone, obliterated, six free shots to many, again laughing to herself. "Oh you're invited too Kane. Sorry for before can't blame a girl for tryin." Janet's words were slurring.  
"Before? Trying what?" This was news to Carrie.  
"Janet was-"  
"I was trying to fuck your boyfriend!" Janet shouted.  
"That's not what happened!" Kane nearly jumped out of his seat.  
"Don't get bent about it Carrie . . . I was doing it for you, duh!"  
"Uh Huh . . . Thanks?"  
"You're welcome." Janet nodded as the cab came to a stop at the first hotel.  
"So you coming?" Sidney asked as they began to empty out of the cab.  
"No." Kane replied without hesitation.  
"Your loss. Carrie?" Sidney quickly moved on.  
"We need to talk." Kane spoke under his breath holding onto one of Carrie's sleeves.  
"Now?" Carrie asked naively, already knowing the answer. Kane didn't respond, he just stared.  
 _'Is she trying to sweep this under the rug?'_  
"I don't think it's kosher to mingle with someone after they admit they tried to fuck your boyfriend so I'll pass."  
"You know Kane isn't actually your boyfriend" This was the second time that night Sidney had to remind Carrie of that fact.  
"Goodnight." Carrie leaned out of the car and kissed Sidney on the cheek.  
"Goodnight . . . I guess." Sidney waved with one hand and scratched his head with the other as he watched the cab pull away.

"So . . . " Carrie twiddled her thumbs nervously. "You must think I'm a huge Ho." She chuckled weakly. _'Ho, underused word.'_ She tried to keep her mind of her worries.  
"What?" Kane was thrown off gaurd, not expecting that comment. "Don't listen to people like Edge or that Steve kid, you're nothing like that."  
"I meant . . . because of the way I acted to night." Her shoulders hunched in embarrassment. "Pouncing on you like that wasn't exactly classy but-" Carrie was cut short. Kane mustered all the confidence he could, took Carrie by her wilting shoulders and forcefully kissed her. It was an intense relief, finally going after what he wanted most, allowing himself to get close, allowing himself to indulge in affection. All that enthusiasm made him lose touch with his own strength, he had accidentally pushed Carrie into the cab window with the force of his embrace. When he heard the contact he quickly pulled back. "Ooof" Carrie rubbed the back of her head.  
"Did I hurt you?" He stomach dropped, worried he had blown his only chance with her by proving he couldn't be gentle. Carrie didn't speak she just shook her head no. She was in a state of shock, she thought she had figured out every possible outcome of this situation, an unprovoked kiss from Kane was not on that list. _'What do I do now?'_ He tried to figure out if her current smile was real or just another imitation. "Say something!" Relief gave way to a building sense of anxiety.  
"We're here." She pointed out the window as their night on the town came to an end. They stood outside in the parking lot for several minutes, Carrie looked down at her shoes as she thought long and hard of what to do next.

"Carrie?" Kane was in his own personal hell, not sure what was going on in that mind of hers. Carrie slowly closed the gap between them. She did her best to wrap her arms around Kane's broad body, as always it had an awkward result. Kane hooked his hands under Carrie's arms lifting her till they were face to face. Carrie's legs gingerly wrapped themselves around Kane's waist allowing Kane to loosen his hold, his hands traveling to the small of her back.  
"This is alright? This is what we want? What we both want?" Carrie held her breath waiting for Kane's response.  
"I'm not sure." Kane admitted, he began to run a row of fingers up and down Carrie's spine. When Kane had first met Carrie he had no desire to be around her, to get to know her, much less grow to care for her.  
"Me either." She bit her lips as she laced her fingers behind Kane's neck. "We won't know if we don't try right?" She leaned in and kissed him again. Kane made no attempt to put Carrie down, he held her tight as they walked through the hotel lobby. Kiss after kiss were exchanged, almost as if they were battling for intimate dominance. Kane for once didn't care if people were staring at him, he and Carrie were all that mattered in the moment. The elevator was causing him complications though, holding Carrie and reaching the right button was proving troublesome. "You can put me down you know?" Carrie offered as she watched Kane fumble and juggle to squirm his hand close enough to the button.  
"No." Kane had a victorious grin as the elevator doors slid open. "Do you need me to put you down?" Kane's grip loosened, worried he was squeezing her too tight.

"No." Carrie trailed kisses down Kane's neck, she could feel his pulse under her lips.

By the time they reached the hotel room Kane's breath was rapid, long suppressed urges boiling over. He felt Carrie everywhere, lust had taken over. Any conversation they were going to have would have to wait till the next day. Kane purposefully did not turn on the light, still concerned she would see the 'real him' and shun him. When he let go of Carrie she bounced once or twice causing her to giggle. As Kane got closer he ran a hand slowly up Carrie's shirt, once he passed her belly button, he paused almost asking for permission to continue. When Carrie didn't object his hand incased one of her breasts, squeezing ever so softly, enjoying the ability to explore more of Carrie's addicting skin. He pulled her shirt over her head with his free hand, he took a moment just to admire her. Carrie placed a hand over his. "I'm not made of glass Kane. It's alright I won't shatter." She raised Kane's shirt, in short order removing it, she began to draw nonsensical shapes along Kane's chest. "Come on lay down." Kane followed her direction, laying straight as a board down the bed. Carrie situated herself on top of Kane, straddling him right bellow his hips. Kane was glad Carrie was taking control, he didn't have to worry about overstepping his bounds, didn't have to worry that he would hurt her and didn't have to worry that his inexperience would show. Carrie's hand slowly made their way down Kane's chest, dragging her nails softly over his skin, Kane grabbed a fistful of Carrie's hair as he felt himself throb. The throbbing only got worse as he felt Carrie pass his belt loops, she began to stroke up and down slowly outlining him, her free hand fumbled with the button of his jeans. Once that was taken care of, the sound of the zipper being undone seemed to echo through the room. This had escalated quickly, candy is dandy but liquor is quicker. Kane's body had been anticipating this moment, it jumped out to meet her, at the first skin to skin contact had to pull her off, he had to collect his breath or risk letting the excitement get the better of him. "Kane is everything ok?" Carrie could feel Kane's grip on her hips tighten as he held her above him.  
"Katie I-"

"Oh my god!" Carrie placed a hand over her mouth in shock. She nearly fell out of bed she couldn't get away fast enough. She ran to the bathroom locking the door behind her. She turned the faucet to drown out the sounds as she began to cry. She stared at herself in the mirror as her eyes welled up and overflowed. _'Why am I not good enough for anyone? Just me? I'm always living in someone's shadow. What is it I don't have?'_  
"Carrie?" Kane put a palm up against the door, the sink wasn't fooling him, he knew the tears were falling, he couldn't blame her. ' _Why did I say her name? I wasn't thinking about Katie. I Don't know why that just happened. Was it something subconscious? Idiot!'_ Kane knew these words were going to fall on deaf ears but he said them anyway, words he previously removed from his vernacular: "Carrie I'm sorry." He did his best to speak through the crack in the door. "I didn't mean to say her name, I don't know where that came from!" He went to knock but was stopped when the door slowly opened.

Carrie stepped out her face was bright red, her cheeks puffy, she was trying to sniffle away the remainder of her tears. Kane wanted to hold her, to in anyway console her but he knew at the moment she wanted nothing to do with him, he felt like the scum of the earth. "It's . . . it's ok . . . no biggie." she finally made eye contact and Carrie forced a smile on her otherwise crushed face. That plastered on grin ate away at Kane more than the crying itself.  
"Carrie ple-"  
"Kane I think . . . I think I need some air . . . I'm going for a walk." Carrie slung her shirt back on and left the room, not even closing the door behind her.


	11. Katie who?

Kane sat hunched in a chair by the window, watching another rerun of the weakest link occasionally moving the curtain aside to see if Carrie would return. It had been a little over two days since Carrie had stormed out. _'Long walk.'_ Kane rubbed his dry eyes, it had also been roughly two days since he had allowed himself to sleep. Red skittles were all that was keeping him from crashing entirely. His head was throbbing due to a mixture of fatigue, hunger, a crushing feeling of regret and a repetition of worrisome thoughts. He spent the majority of those sleepless hours contemplating what he would tell Carrie, how he would explain himself, how he would fix things when he saw her again. _'She has to come back eventually. Right? All her stuff is still here.'_ He glanced over at Carrie's green and white polka doted luggage laying haphazardly on the floor. _'Such a mess . . . all of it such a mess.'_ He again rubbed his eyes trying to hold back his ever growing headache. _'Or she might be so mad that she'll leave it all behind. She'll leave all this behind, just like she'll leave me.'_ He picked out a few more red skittle as the negative notions continued to flow. _'She's probably in their room right now. They're filling her head with shit.'_ He shifted in his seat, contemplating paying the group a visit, but he knew that would only make things worse. If things didn't go his way, and it was unlikely that it would, he'd lose control, his frustrations would lead to rage, would lead to violence, would lead to something he would regret. _'Sidney's gloating I told you so, Janet is saying there's plenty other horny fish in the sea, is Lizzie even on my side? For all I know she could be trying to set Carrie back up with that Fisher person. Carrie will be sitting there with that stupid god damn smile on her face! What did I do? Why did I say her name?!'_ Kane lashed out, punching the wall beside him. _'Katie . . . maybe this is her way of warning me . . . that I can't move on, that I haven't changed, that I was never meant to feel that way.'_ Kane very much believed that everyone is haunted by the ghosts of their past, both figuratively and literally. _'Maybe this is Katie trying to save Carrie. Katie knows . . . knew'_ His stream of consciousness was cut short as sounds of the car crash rang through his ears. Screeching tires, scraping metal, snapping tree limbs and Katie's lasts screams. With his eyes clenched shut it felt like Kane was thrown right back into that moment. _'Katie knew, better than anyone that even the people I care about most, my parents, Katie, my un born child . . . I can't protect them . . . any of them. They all wither and die, I leave a wake of pain and destruction everywhere I go . . . I have no control. They were all living on borrowed time. Women equal pain, I ignore that and we both get burned, nothing but agony and loss. These women, that I say I care about so much what do they get out of it? What do they do it for? For me? For a monster?'_ Kane punched the wall a second time, a third, a fourth, he could feel the warmth of blood break through to the surface. He had all intentions of continuing but was stopped by a knock on the door. Wiping away the red smears from his knuckles he stood and lumbered to the door, hoping Carrie was on the other side. _'Did she leave her key?'_ He opened the door only to be disappointed.  
"You look like shit." Lita was leaning against the door frame.

"You don't look so well." The waitress planted down the fifth cup of coffee in front of Carrie who was doing her best to keep her eyes open. "Is everything alright?" Carrie looked disheveled, her skin seemed paler than usual, her hair tangled and frizzy, gaunt bags starting to form under her eyes.  
"Yeah." Carrie gave a quick dropping smile and a heavy shrug. "Can I ask you a question?" After taking a sip of her coffee she finally made eye contact with the server.  
"Sure."  
"Do I look like . . . something is missing?" Carrie's voice seemed distant, as if she didn't really know who she was talking to.  
"Did you lose something?" The waitress looked from side to side, even glancing below the table.  
"I don't know . . . maybe . . . it must've been a long time ago, I can't even remember if I had." Blowing some steam off her coffee she proceeded to take a big gulp.  
"Huh?" Carrie's nonsensical statements were beginning to worry the waitress who now assumed that Carrie was some nut case or tweaker off the street, she took two or three steps back. "Nevermind." Carrie could sense the older woman's unease, her eyes went back down to the table as she let out a yawn. _'I must be missing something. I'm no Katie, no what was her name? Sarah? Sadie?'_ Carrie tried and eventually gave up on remembering the first woman Fisher had wandered to. _'What do they have that I don't? It goes back farther than that, even as a kid I just wasn't good enough. All I wanted . . . all I want-'_ Her throat tightened as she felt herself get emotional. _'Is to be good enough, but I never am. I'm doing my best to keep smiling, that's all that matters, but even that isn't up to snuff. Maybe that's what's wrong. I'm sure Katie has some million dollar smile that I don't have, and can't compete with.'_ Carrie tried to smile again but it was difficult, it seemed as if she was fighting against intensified gravity, instead of succeeding in a grin, tears fell in and around her coffee mug.

Carrie was startled when she heard a plate clank forcefully against her table. Looking up, sadness was replaced by fear. The masked Kane sat across from Carrie, cocking his head to one side, he just stared at her for several long minutes. _'No one knows I'm here. This guy is a maniac, who knows what he'll do. I'm defenseless, I don't even have a place to run.'_ Carrie contemplated the graveness of the situation. She couldn't go back to the hotel room Kane was there, she couldn't get to her friends they were not within running distance. She had been roaming the streets like a transient for the last two days.  
"Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you." He could see her scanning the diner for it's exits. "Oh poor baby you've been crying." He reached out to rub her puffy cheeks but she quickly recoiled. Carrie stood to make her escape but before she could he leaned in and grabbed her shoulders, squeezing them with a bone crushing force.

"I won't hurt you HERE, too many witnesses, but remember you do have to leave eventually, you do have to sleep. Who knows how merciful I'll be feeling then? Sit, stay a while." With a hefty shove, he planted Carrie back in the booth.  
"What do you want?" She let out a long sigh. Carrie was more or less drained, her will to fight diminished, all of her energy was being used to keep her heavy eyes open.  
"I want to make a deal with you. Get back at big bad Kane for whatever it is he's done to you." She could only see his eyes, but that was enough, she could see the abundance of confidence in them that he had completely ensnared her.  
"You're wasting your breath. Go away!"

"I said go away!" Kane attempted to slam the door but Lita had managed to worm her way in the room first.  
"What happened here?" Lita gawked at the holes in the wall.  
"None of your business." Kane was pacing the floor. ' _This is the last thing I need right now.'_  
"I have something to talk to you about ok? Where's Carrie?" Lita looked from left to right. As of recently the two had been inseparable, it was surprising that the new Diva was nowhere to be seen.  
"Gone. What could you possibly have to say to me? Why are you now interested in what's going on in my life." Kane's voice was sharp and bitter.  
"It's about Carrie and the whole contract thing. I think you're making a mistake, one that might bite you in the ass. We should probably wait till she gets back, it's not just you I'm worried about."  
"Worried? Sure you are, all the two of you care about is yourselves." Kane's fists clenched as Edge's face came to mind. "Carrie's not coming back . . . trust me." The last part was yawned out.  
"What are you talking about? Kane what did you do?" Lita was starting to get concerned, the monster seemed riled and that was never a good sign. "Did you . . . Kane did you hurt her?"  
"I said it's none of your business!" Kane glared at her with wild eyes.  
"I knew this would happen. You couldn't last two months? I thought you two were getting along but you couldn't stop yourself could you? Then I was wrong, you deserve what comes to you, you big freak! What hospital is she at?" Lita's stomach was turning, she felt partially at blame. She knew what Kane was capable of and she threw Carrie in his clutches anyway.

"Hospital?" Kane's face lit up in shock. Going over the conversation in his head, knowing everyone thought the worst of him he could see how things had gotten lost in translation. "She's not in a hospital . . . not that I know of." It truly hit Kane that he had no idea where Carrie was, who she was with. ' _What if HE got to her? She's out alone, like a sitting duck.'_ He could feel his blood pulse through him, throbbing as it passed by his temples. His headache was growing by the minute, he put a hand to his forehead, clenching it in an attempt to keep his skull from bursting. "I didn't hurt her . . . I didn't hurt her like that . . . I'd never hurt her like that." Kane wanted to be crystal clear that he hadn't caused Carrie psychical harm, so Lita didn't assume she was buried beneath a tree somewhere.  
"Then how? Where is she?"  
"Lita . . . did I ever . . . bring up Katie when we were together? Or when I though we were together?" The thought left a sour taste in his mouth.  
"I'm the one asking questions here. Where is she?"  
"Not here, I don't know where! This is important Lita!" Kane's lack of patience was glaring.  
"Katie?" Lita paused to think. "The name sounds familiar. You're not exactly much of a talker Kane." Lita flipped her hair and pursed her lips as she tried to remember. "Katie . . . Katie . . . Katie . . . Was that the one you were so sorry about? Yeah sort of." Lita nodded.  
"Sort of?" Kane didn't understand, his volume had dropped low.  
"You had nightmares a lot. Always woke me up, all that tossing and turning, elbowed me off the bed once. Sometimes you would talk in your sleep, repeating over and over how sorry you were to to this Katie. Did you do the same thing to Carrie?" Lita tried to rail the conversation back to the topic at hand. Kane remained silent for a few moments running a hand slowly over his head.  
"No. . . Katie I lost Katie. Carrie . . . I didn't lose her, not like that . . . You should go." He nodded over towards the door, cutting their heart to heart short. _'This has been going on longer than I thought. How long?'_  
"You're not making any sense. Earth to Kane!" Lita waved a hand in front of Kane's lost gaze. "I can't leave, don't you remember I need to talk to you about-"  
"I remember the contract and how I'm making a huge mistake. Right now this exactly the right choice." Kane shrugged, sitting back in his chair, anguish and fatigue was written all over his face.

Lita was dumbfounded, the monster really did have something that resembled emotions. For just a moment it left her with a sensation of guilt over what she had done to him, how she had betrayed Kane. She was doubly amazed at the notion that Carrie had been able to tap into and bring these emotions to the surface. On the flip side she was not surprised that the breakthrough had not lasted, that everything was going to hell in a hand basket. There's only so much of a relationship that could be formed in such a short period of time, especially with a man as stubborn and resistant as Kane. Lita deciding not to be a pessimist believed there was still a chance. In an attempt to make up for past deeds she would do her best to salvage this mess, she would attempt to talk Carrie off the ledge if and when she ran into her next.

 _'First thing's first. Edge is in over his head. I need to help him out.' Breaking_ from inner thought she snapped back at Kane. "Idiot it doesn't matter what you think is best! What either of you want!"  
"Huh?" Kane was taken aback by Lita's demanding tone.  
"As always Edge is one step ahead." Lita puffed up her chest in pride. "I was just meant to tell you that all parties have to be present at this contract signing, in the ring monday on Raw, the rest will work itself out."  
"So?" A contract was simply a piece of paper, it meant little or nothing to Kane. "Does this mean I have to wear a suit?" He was getting annoyed by Lita's bravado.  
"This isn't funny Kane! Aren't you a bit curious why Edge would through all this trouble? Even you have to understand there has to be a catch" Lita hinted heavily.

"Curious? About your plan? No." Carrie lifted her mug to her lips, taking another large sip, almost emptying the cup.  
"Black." The masked man looked down at the remainder of the beverage. "I forgot you're an Oregon girl, you must be a coffee elitist them. I mean you're so close to Washington you're practically on the border, Gresham right?"  
"Do you have a point?" She figured he was trying to spook her with the fact he knew exactly where she was from.  
"See you ARE curious." His confident eyes had a hint of a smirk.  
"How did you find me here?" It was far more alarming that he knew where she'd be at the moment than where she called home.  
"You've been here sobbing for quite some time and I've been sitting, patiently waiting till the moment was right." He pointed to the window at what Carrie could only assume was his vehicle, a beat up tan colored sedan. "And here it is." He leaned in closer to the nervous woman. "Vulnerable, weak and all alone."  
"I'm not agreeing to any plots against Kane." She folded her arms against her chest. As upset as she was with Kane, as much as their relationship seemed beyond repair, she wouldn't prove Kane's paranoias right, she would not betray him.  
"It was a long shot I suppose. Especially after seeing how close you two have gotten over the weeks. Hell I thought you were going to lay out in the lobby and do your business right there. I won't lie I was disappointed when you didn't, that would've been interesting to watch. Almost as interesting as watching you run out bawling. Honestly even I, as close as I've been watching you two did not see that coming." The shine in his eyes continued to grow. "You can tell me what happened, I'm a good listener. Better later than never?"  
"Huh?" Carrie croaked. She was already feeling the pain of Kane's slip of the tongue, the last thing she needed was this lowlife throwing her misfortune in her face.  
"Now you know-"  
"Know what?" She didn't even realize she was hanging on his every word.  
"The closer you get to the flames Carrie . . . the deeper the burn." He continued to fish for details. "Come on Carrie, right now I'm your only friend, you can tell me." He could see her eating out of the palm of his hands, he had her entranced. "Kane obviously doesn't have your back, he obviously doesn't care about your well being, your feelings, I doubt he ever really acknowledged them. If he did care, don't you think he would have rushed to find you, don't you think at the very least he'd find you before I did? He might not care, but Carrie trust me when I say, I do. Anything going on in Kane's life is of most importance to me. Out of care or convenience the only thing going on in Kane's life is you." He bopped a thick pointer finger against Carrie's nose. "I don't think it matters who, if it wasn't you it could've been anyone else you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Kane has an addiction to protection, he thrives on his ability to take care of a smaller creature. Kane has over the years held many a weakling under his wing, perhaps it's out of a need for purpose, perhaps a need for redemption or perhaps just a need for a target to lure in victims who knows? Point is you're nothing but Kane's puppet." With each word of his monologue Carrie struggled harder to choke back tears, gulp after gulp, holding them at bay. Feeling more alone, more beaten down, just exhausted.

"Who is Katie?" Carrie asked quietly, she needed answers and this man for one reason or another knew everything there was to know about Kane.  
"Katie Vick?" To this Carrie just shrugged, she knew one name only, Katie. "Oh she was a peach. What did Kane tell you about the love of his life?"  
"Nothing." Carrie slouched in her seat.  
"She was beautiful, smart, believe it or not a cheerleader. Kane was head over heels for Katie, she was everything to him. Unlike you, who at the moment is a blubbering pool of nothing." He felt the need to add insult to injury. "But don't you fret, she's not much competition now."  
"Did she break up with him? Is she the one who got away?"  
"More like the one he put away. Carrie she's dead." He chuckled as he watched Carrie's eyes pop open. "Now I've got your attention. It gets better though, she didn't exactly die of natural causes. Ask him yourself, Kane killed that poor girl. She didn't even make it to the hospital by the time Kane flagged down help. He was absolutely covered in her blood when they found him. The police report is vague at best and incriminating at worst. No one has been able to prove whether or not he murdered her or that he . . . desecrated the corpse. That part is rumor, but you know what they say, most rumors are based in fact. Regardless, her loss is your gain. Still it must sting, playing second fiddle to a dead woman huh?" He watched as Carrie bit her lip, holding back whatever it was she wanted to say. "I'll let you think things over. Give you a head start at running, a high school track star should have no trouble, lets say seven minutes." He dropped another hint that he knew almost as much about her as he did Kane. "Don't worry I'll pay your tab. Seven minutes then I'll go looking for you again, and this time I won't take no for an answer." He again grabbed Carrie roughly by the shoulders this time tossing her to the floor, the side of her skull smacking into the tile floor. When she sat up rubbing her head looking up stunned, her attacker voiced the urgency once again. "Go! Tick tock, tick tock!" Carrie scrambled to her feet and began to sprint, burning what little steam she had left she knew she couldn't make it far, she had to make every step count.

Kane had finally gotten Lita to leave, only to have his silence interrupted by a ringing phone. "Carrie?"  
"Wrong. Guess again, get it before the buzzer and you win a prize. Tick tock, tick tock." The mocking voice made an all ready ill feeling Kane turn green.  
"What do you want?" Kane growled, his patience had been completely depleted by this point.  
"It's not what I want. It's what you want Kane. Carrie . . . or is it Katie?" The line was cast.  
"Where is she?" Kane knew his deepest fears had been realized, his nemesis had found her.  
"Which one? I hear Katie is buried in Tennessee somewhere."  
"Don't play fucking games with me! I'm in no mood. Carrie, where is she? If you hurt her I swear-"  
"Hurt her? No you do a fine job at that all by yourself. Well maybe I pushed her a little too hard but monsters like us, we don't know any better. We don't know our own strength do we?"  
"I'm going to rip you limb from limb!"  
"You shouldn't talk so violently. You have a reputation now, I told Carrie how you murdered your old flame."  
"It was an accident." Kane wasn't saying it to prove anything to the man on the other end of the line, he was saying it to remind himself.  
"Her parents didn't see it that way did they? As I was told you were kicked out of the viewing."

Kane's mind flashed back to that moment in time. "Get out of here you mutant! You killed my baby girl." A mourning father rushed at Kane as he entered the door.  
"Mr. Vick, Mrs. Vick I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, it was an accident I never meant-" Kane pleaded hands in the air in a gesture of defense, his long hair shrouding his masked face.  
"I told Katie to stay away from you! I knew you were trouble from the start! Fresh out of an asylum, they never should have let you out! You killed my only daughter, my baby girl and I'll never forgive you." Kane was met with a punch to a still bruised cheek, he did not flinch, he did not fight back, Kane simply stood there eyes glued to the casket in the distance.  
"Joseph, Joseph calm down!" His wife pulled at his arm, trying to hush the dispute, they were creating a seen. "You need to leave. Now!" The punch in the face couldn't compare to the hateful look in the mother's eyes.  
"She had dreams, she had aspirations, she was going to help nut cases like you."

One flashback led to another, a sharp transition like a flip of a channel. He remembered the high school class Kane had met Katie in, it was an English course. The teacher, Mr. Hargett had issued an essay assignment asking each student to explain where they planned to be in a few years, what their dreams were, their career goals. Kane had barely been listening, spending as he did most classes avoiding stares and contorting to find a comfortable position at his small desk. Katie's essay had already been read, her goal was to be a therapist, nothing that spoke to Kane at the time. A few more doctors, lawyers and movie stars took their turn till finally Kane's paper was at the top of the pile. "Kane this is blank. Why would you bother turning in a paper with nothing but your name? Did you have trouble grasping the assignment? You could have-"  
"I understood. I'm not dumb." He nipped that preconceived notion in the bud. "You asked for my dreams and there they are. My future? Five years from now? It's all there in black and white. I never dream. In five years I'll be the same thing I am right now a monster. I have no goals, no special skill set, my life is a nightmare, there's no use in dreaming." Kane explained his outlook on life. An uncomfortable silence fell over the room. How do you respond to such a bold declaration? A collective breath of relief was expelled as the bell rand, turning the class free.

"Kane! Kane wait!" It was Katie who was calling out to him, she reached out and grabbed his arm. As Kane turned around he saw a familiar face he wasn't expecting, in place of Katie it was Carrie who stood before him. Kane's memory flashed forward through the multiple times Carrie had reached out to hold his hand.  
"You weren't serious in there were you?" Katie morphed back to her proper place.  
"Serious." Kane huffed. When he noticed Katie wasn't letting go he elaborated. "What was I supposed to do? Lie? Tell everyone I want to grow up to a carnie or a rodeo clown? Some bullshit like that?" Pulling his arm back Kane resumed his walk.  
"What are you good at?"  
"Huh?"  
"You said you have no skill set, but you have to be good at something!" Katie continued to pry.  
"Destruction . . . complete annihilation, brute unrelenting force. I'm going to lunch now-" Kane was feeling uncomfortable, he had talked more in the last two minutes than he had in the last two months, it was an unfamiliar and unwelcome change of pace.  
"Can I sit with you?" Katie would not be deterred.  
"I don't care where you sit." Kane continued walking not slowing his long stride. Katie had to jog just to keep up.  
"Hey make lemons into lemonade it's not all bad!" Katie tried her best to not let his callous words get to her.  
"You're still following me?" Kane sneered, the uncomfortableness was mixing with annoyance.  
"I'm not following you, we both have lunch you just said I could sit with you remember?"  
"That's not how I remember it." Kane sat at the table he had staked as his own, no one dared even look at the several empty seats around him. "What's your angle anyway?"  
"Angle?"  
"Why do want to sit with me? Someone bullying you? Need me to break their jaw? No need to kiss my ass, point em' out I have no problem-" Kane had stood, cracking his knuckles as he scanned the room for the next person he would inflict pain on.  
"No No not that!" Katie shook her head and arms in tandem.  
"Then what?" Kane barked with a tone of disappointment.  
"No one should go without a dream, it's not healthy. I'm going to help you find it, Kane you have a gift, I know you do, you're not a monster." What perhaps started as a curiosity peaked pet project for Katie would blossom into much more.

Kane in the present dropped the receiver to the ground, he was holding his head together, he was getting nauseous as memory after memory zoomed through his mind, it all seemed too real.

"Not without you!" Carrie's voice from mere days ago pierced Kane's ears.  
"Did you not listen to a word I just said?"  
"I heard you. Kane I want to prove to you, that there are people that see the man in you, not the monster, not the machine. When I look at you I see Kane . . . Just Kane."

"Kane . . . I want to see you."  
"Katie I'm right here . . . where I always am." He waved a hand in front of Katie's face as he walked her home. Months had passed since the previous memory of her, in that time the two of them had gotten close, inseparable, Kane did his best to always be at Katie's side.  
"No. You're not."  
"What?" Kane was confused, and concerned, worried in one way or another he wasn't being there for her, he wasn't measuring up.  
"You're hiding behind that mask!" For a moment Kane could see Carrie stand next to Katie a fake smile plastered on her face. It wasn't enough for Kane to be lost in memories but now they were meshing together, he couldn't tell when one ended and another began.  
"I need it! I've always needed it you don't understand!" Kane's temper flared, he hadn't rose his voice at her like that since their friendship had blossomed.

"I think it's like a nervous tick of her's, like a defense mechanism or something. She's smiled like that as long as I've known her. Around the clock smiles, even when you know she's sad or angry or cranky . . . it's just what she does. I asked her, I asked Sidney. Carrie plays dumb, Sidney says not to talk about it. They both get upset when you bring it up." Taking a step back to analyze Lizzie's words Kane grew angry. _'They just abandon her, just look the other way when the going gets tough. Some friends, not willing to look beneath the surface to help her? Katie could've done that, she could have left well enough alone-'_ Thinking was over, remembering resumed.

"No Kane you don't. You don't need it. Come here." Taking both of Kane's hands in her's Katie pulled Kane deep into the woods behind her home, a place they could be sure no one would see them. "Take off your mask Kane, don't worry-"  
"No! I can't." Kane's heart was pounding out of his chest as anxiety washed over him. Katie reached up to his leather bound face, in reflex Kane lifted a fist, it took all his will power to stop himself from following through.  
"Katie get off! I don't want to hurt you but-"  
"Whatever it is your afraid of showing me . . . don't be. You don't have to be scared Kane, I promise it will be o.k I won't laugh I won't judge you. I just want to be able to SEE you, not just . . . this." Her hand made it's way down the length of Kane's emotionless mask. "Take it off Kane, trust me, please."  
"Fine." Kane finally relented. His hands shook as he fumbled with the straps and buckles.

"Stop that!"  
"Stop what?"  
"Smiling like that!"  
"What I can't smile?"  
"Not like that!"  
"Like what?"  
"Like . . . nevermind forget it." Kane viewed Carrie's phony smiles to be just as much as mask as the literal one he wore for years. ' _I am just as bad as them, a hypocrite, I wasn't able to help her move forward, move past that. Katie would have.'_ He was bordering on delusional, his memories now having little rhyme or reason to them as they swirled through his brain. It was as if his mind was a Rolodex and he was flipping from page to page to see where this connection between Katie and Carrie stemmed from. This spiral showed no sign of stopping.

Kane had removed his mask, he cringed as the cool autumn air hit his unkept clammy skin. He felt his stomach turn as he made eye contact with Katie. He quickly turned away, placing a large palm against his face doing his best to re obscure it. "See Kane?! You can do anything! Kane look at me!" Katie grabbed Kane's wrist pulling his hand away from his face, he still refused to look at her, eyes glued to the fallen leaves. "You're not a monster. You're a good person." Katie's voice had pierced through him but all the same Kane stood motionless, speechless. When she got no response Katie took it one step further, she leaned up and kissed Kane on the cheek.  
"Katie?" Kane took three steps back, he was confused, alarmed and paranoid. It was either a dream or a cruel joke Kane intended to break free of either.  
"Kane now that you let me see the real you I wanted to ask-"  
"Do you want me to put it back on?" He rushed to bring the mask back to his face, he didn't want to scare Katie away with his appearance.  
"No. No Kane not that. I was wondering seeing as you trust me enough to take off your mask, if you like me enough to go with me to the movies" Katie waited through long minutes of silence, she always had to be very patient with Kane.  
"Like a date?" Kane's breath was labored this experience was so far out of his comfort zone.  
"Exactly like a date." Katie nodded with a laugh. This was the beginning of a two year long relationship. He could remember the exact series of events that lead to it's end.

"There's a homecoming party tonight." Katie responded to Kane's question as to why she was so dressed up. When she showed up at his home dressed for a night out he had panicked, perhaps he had forgotten a promise to take her somewhere.  
"Oh." He resumed what he was doing before she stopped by, he began chucking darts violently against a board. Looking over at the clock he assumed the party would start soon. "Do you need a ride?" Kane offered as he reached for his mask, he could show his face to Katie but not to the world. "Be careful, I'll be here all night if something goes wrong just call me, if someone-" Kane was always very protective over Katie, he felt she was too polite and too trusting for her own good.  
"Kane you're always here." Katie stated the obvious. Kane went to school, and unless he and Katie were going somewhere he'd quickly return to his empty broken down excuse for a house. "I want you to come with me! Please?" Katie sweet voice tried to lure the monster out of his lair.  
"I'm busy." Kane replied quickly. If he could Kane would give Katie the world but this was something he hadn't budged on. He'd take her to the movies the zoo, the mall, out to dinner, but social gatherings, that's where he drew the line.  
"Busy? With what? I know you don't have homework, we finished that earlier in the library. You said you'd be here all night what could be so important that-"  
"Ship in a bottle." Kane walked over and ripped two darts from the board and four from the hole ridden wall.  
"What?"  
"I'm busy. Building a ship in a bottle."  
"Kane that is absolutely ridiculous." As frustrated as she was Katie couldn't help but laugh.  
"You always keep saying I need a hobby." Kane smirked back at her as he again lobbed dart after dart. "I opened the package recently. A nurse gave it to me when I was younger at the . . . hospital, a birthday present." It made him uncomfortable to speak about his days in the asylum. "It was to teach me not to be so . . . teach me to be more careful." He reworded how the nurse had explained it to him.

All those years later, it had easily been a decade, Kane held onto the ship in the bottle, the crumbling house, it all remained just as it had on that day, even the darts remained in their last spots. After Katie had died he had ripped the home apart piece by piece, only to later reconstruct every detail in an odd sort of tribute to their last happy day.

"I'm glad you have a hobby Kane. I don't ask for much, please come with me?!" Katie had persisted.  
"Fine." Kane grunted unenthusiastically as he finally relented, chucking the last dart at the board, tightening the clasps to the back of his mask. He wanted nothing more than Katie to be happy if that meant suffering through a few hours of social interaction so be it.

 _'Stay happy Carrie.'_ He remembered the look on Carrie's face from nights ago at the bar. It was an eerily similar situation as it had been with Katie. Is that where the memories got foggy? Is that what made him say the wrong name?

Kane also remembered how Katie had smiled that night, proud of him, even though he was doing nothing more than lurking off in a corner of the party, alone, his arms crossed over his chest making him look even more unapproachable. "Hey big guy?!"  
"Huh?" Kane was surprised anyone other than Katie was speaking to him.  
"You look like a tank. Do you want to be my case race partner? It's pretty stiff competition but I think-"  
"Case what?"  
"Case race, teams of two, first team to finish a case wins. You in?"  
"Uh..." Kane looked nervously over at Katie, but she was off busy being the beautiful social butterfly that she was. "I guess." Kane nodded, he didn't want to lose Katie, and he if he spent his life sulking in corners he feared he would.  
"We got this!" The random classmate patted Kane on the back, who responded with a jerked up fist.  
"I don't like to be touched." Kane laid down a ground rule. They did have it, they had won, not one case race but three, and a game of beer pong. Kane was feeling triumphant not to mention lit by the time Katie had found him.  
"Kane you're having fun!"  
"Sure." He shrugged, wobbling slightly where he stood.  
"Would you be mad if I wanted to go home now? I don't want to ruin your good time but-"  
"Not at all." He shook his head lazily. "I've been waiting to here you say that since we got here." It was hard to detect Kane's slurred speech under the confines of his mask.  
"Did you throw up?" Katie's face soured slightly. Only then did Kane notice there was vomit on his pants.  
"No." He shook his head again. "But Carl did, it's whatever." Surprisingly Kane got more peaceful, even pleasant when he drank.  
"Carl?"  
"My race partner."  
"You made a friend! Kane I'm so happy for you." She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "Will you be ok to drive?"  
"I'll be fine." Kane stated without second thought. In that moment he felt untouchable. He had friends, he had begun to overcome the stigma of being a freak, and he had Katie. He also couldn't have been more wrong. He was not fine, he was not untouchable, he would lose all that he had just gained and Katie would be dead within the hour.

"Lenny? Earth to Lenny?" Kane could barely hear the voice on the other end of the line, he could barely see straight. He scrambled to pull the receiver to his ear.  
"Where is she?" Kane would not let Carrie be torn from him like Katie had.  
"No appreciation for of mice and men reference? Quite rude."  
"Tell me where Carrie is!" Kane demanded again.  
"I don't know."  
"Like hell."  
"Don't get me wrong. I'll find her, I have plans for that little firecracker, not as docile as Katie is she? It doesn't matter though, I'll take her kicking and screaming if I have to. It would probably be more exciting that way don't you think? Haven't gotten all the details figured out just yet. She hasn't given me an answer on if she'd help me or not. She'll see it my way eventually, I'm a very persuasive guy. You're an expert, what does it take to break her? Oh wait, first, tell me, did you seal the deal? What does she look like, how does she compare to Katie? Is she more of a firecracker in bed? Come to think of it, don't tell me I want to be surprised." He rambled with a childlike giddiness.  
"Don't touch her!" Kane's blood was boiling, he didn't want anyone to touch Carrie, anyone to think of her that way much less throw it in his face.  
"Then you better find her first. Everything is set up for what I'm about to do. It all lays on your shoulders, what happens and more importantly to who."  
"Carrie has nothing to do with this! You want my attention? You have it! You want a fight? In or out of the ring you have it!" What Kane DID want was to break every bone in this mystery man's body. He wanted to protect Carrie at all costs.  
"I do . . . but I don't want to fight this new, weak, pathetic Kane. I want the monster at it's worst. I want you the way you were when you wore the skin I've adopted. I want you angry, out for vengeance! I might not be able to destroy your body like your brother did, but I can destroy the only thing that matters to you, the only thing holding you back, Carrie." The man Kane was arguing with had the mind of an old western villain, he was figuratively tying Carrie down to the train tracks and Kane had to play the unfamiliar role of the hero. "If you're still sitting there crying over spilt milk then you must not be all that concerned, maybe I misjudged how important she is to you. Trust me I'm not bluffing, I'm going hunting for her now, she's so tired she couldn't have gotten far. If I were you I'd run out there and try to be the better bloodhound." There was a click and the phone call was over.

 _'It has to be a trap. He's trying to lure me out there.'_ Kane didn't care, no matter what his nemesis had planned it would not keep him from Carrie. Kane threw on a jacket and bolted full force out of the hotel. He was panting by the time he reached the rental. Just as he was about to open the door something caught his eye, there was movement in the backseat. _'Carrie?'_ He saw the woman curled up in a fetal position across the seats. Kane softly tapped on the window, scanning the parking lot, waiting for the ambush. "Carries?!" He couldn't help but grin, knowing she was close, knowing she was safe.  
"Ahhh! Ow!" Carrie rose from her short rest in a fright, but the quick snap agitated her fatigued muscles and her throbbing shoulders. Again overlooking the possible danger Kane opened the door, leaning in he could see her rub the red marks that would eventually lead to bruising.  
"How badly are you hurt?" Kane scowled, he had let Carrie out of his sight, had let his doppelganger get to her, and now she was in pain.  
"I'm fine, just tired." She winced slightly as she worked out the kinks in her joints. Without fail the smile was still there.  
"Listen Carrie you need to let me take you back inside." Kane outstretched a hand but she refused to take it.  
"I don't think that's such a good idea Kane." She shook her head rubbing some sleep from her eyes.  
"Don't be stupid it's not safe out here." Kane thought she was being childish and petty. _'Why would she set up camp in my car if she doesn't want my protection?'_  
"Drop me off at the other hotel? I'll be safe with my friends." Carrie would not budge.  
"No." Kane got in the front seat, turning on the engine as well as the heat. _'Safe with her friends? What a joke. Don't be an idiot Carrie, you know I'm the only one who can keep you safe from him.'_  
"No?"  
" Not yet. If I tell you everything . . . about Katie. . . about everything. Will you tell me why you insist on smiling? Just give me a chance to explain myself." Kane saw unease wash over Carrie, smile and all.  
" I don't need to know anything more about Katie, I know all I need to know-"  
"It was an accident Carrie, it was all my fault but I didn't mean for her to-"  
"That's not what I mean. I know you didn't murder her, that dude has more than one screw loose, can't believe anything he says. The only thing I needed to know about Katie, and it's becoming glaringly obvious is . . . that I'm not her." Carrie's voice cracked but her smile did not falter.

A/N: Sorry if this chapter was confusing and long. I promise next chapter will be shorter, more Kane and Carrie and less . . . all over the place.


	12. Nothing to protect

"Stop it!" Kane for the first time could see pure sadness in Carrie's eyes and he didn't know how to approach it. "I know you're not her, I know you're not Katie." Carrie finally rose into a seated position, she seemed to be shaking. "Are you cold?" As angry, confused and adrenalin filled as he was, Kane still had the wherewithal to care for her general well being. He took off his jacket and passed it behind him. She held it for a moment not sure if she wanted to accept the peace offering. "Carrie just . . . I can't have you freeze to death out here." Kane smirked slightly as he watched her finally relent, squirming and nuzzling herself in the red fabric, almost being swallowed by the tent sized coat.  
"Kane I-" Her voice was still high and shaky, it was apparent she was on the verge of crying.  
"It's hard to explain, I know you're not her but-"  
"Kane just stop. Drop me off at-" Carrie had decided things were done and over with between the two of them, Katie had a monopoly on the monster's heart and there was no room for her, Kane just hadn't realized it yet.  
"Let me finish!" Kane could not even attempt tenderness, it was simply not in his DNA but still he wanted to prove a point, he wanted to win Carrie back. "We need to go inside and talk, you know I'm not good with words but-"  
"I don't want to talk!" Carrie croaked, her throat was sore from trying to hold back so much.

"Don't talk then, just listen!" Kane was surprised when Carrie did not quip back. _'He's right, Carrie is a firecracker, I'd never talk to Katie this way but . . . they're not the same person. I know they're not.'_ He wracked his brain, scrunching his nose as he desperately tried to think of the right words to say. "I don't want you to be her." He craned over the seat to look at her but Carrie quickly broke their eye contact, eyes drifting towards the window, watching the sun slowly begin to set. _'Dammit what do I do?'_ Kane punched the dashboard, causing Carrie to jump. "I want you to just be you . . . you're just fine the way you are. I'm not asking you to-"  
"Kane just-"  
"Let me finish!" Kane let out a deep sigh before resuming. "You can't do that Carrie, be who you are if you keep hiding behind that smile." It was still there, as sad as she was the wayward smile stuck through.  
"Bull!" Carrie shouted, her tiredness made the tears easy to come by, like a dam being broken one after another slipped down her cheeks.  
"What?" Kane felt a sense of helplessness, he simply had no idea how to fix things.  
"That's bull! You want Katie and not me, I'm just a replacement, she was everything I'm not, a peach a-" She repeated the description the masked man had used.

"That's it!" Kane got out of the front seat slamming the door behind him. Walking around the car he reached inside Carrie's door, he did not extend a hand, he did not wait for her to step out, he reached in scooped her by the waist and slung her over his shoulder, beginning to walk back in the direction of the hotel.  
"Kane put me down!" Carrie swung fist after fist at Kane's back, it didn't even seem to phase the large man. "It's not just you Kane! No one wants the real me, it's not even there if you did!" The deeper seeded issues began to brew to the surface.  
"Not there?" Kane questioned, ignoring Carrie's flailing legs and punching arms as he made his way through the lobby doors. He also was quick to ignore the stares of coworkers and hotel patrons alike as he awkwardly made his way to the elevator. His cold stare dared anyone to try and stop him.  
"It's all a void Kane, an illusion, a white lie! Sit down shut up and smile, that's my go to, that's what I'm good for." Her tears continued to flow hitting the elevator floor as Kane finally placed her back on her feet.  
"What did he tell you that? He's trying to get under your skin Carrie. He wants to get to me and he's taking it out on you, but don't worry Carrie, I'll make him pay." Kane went to his 'go to' violence. It was the gift that keeps on giving, there was no limit to the amount he could dish out, especially when someone he cared about was in danger.  
"Kane I've heard that since I was ten. It's not your fault, it's not that creep's fault, it has nothing to do with any of this. I'm sorry for breaking down right now, but it finally just hit me, he was right." Carrie's head hung low as she felt her self worth diminish farther and farther.  
"Who?" Kane saw room for redemption, it would take all the sensitivity he could muster to undo his mistake, but exacting revenge on whoever berated her couldn't hurt. _'Whoever they are. Whoever thinks they can talk to her like that, there'll be hell to pay.'_  
"It's not important who." Carrie felt Kane was missing the bigger picture. As the door opened she felt him lightly nudge her forward, slowly and apprehensively she walked through.  
"I'm making it important." Kane would not let up, he had finally gotten her to talk and as they entered the hotel room, he hoped he could pry more out of her. 'The way Katie did with me. I need to help Carrie . . . because I care about her. I can't give up, can't give in.' Kane watched as she feverishly tried to wipe tears from her eyes, sniffling through her red nose. _'She's been holding onto this for years, like I did with my scars, my demons. I don't want her to hurt like I do, she shouldn't have to, she's not a monster like me.'_ Impulsively he reached out, clutching her in a aggressive hug. "I'll protect you, from everything." Kane's muscles tightened as if was about to go into battle.  
"Relax. You don't have to protect me from Nathan." Carrie chuckled at the mere prospect. _'Kane would tear the drunk to pieces.'_ Carrie broke from the hug as she finally opened up. "He's more or less harmless, haven't seen or talked to him in years, my step dad, I mean I guess you can call him that." She viewed Sidney's dad as more of a father figure than Nathan. "I know now . . . that he was just drilling that into my head to hurt my feelings because he was a bitter old man stuck with a kid who wasn't his . . . but he was right. I've been nothing but a burden my whole life. On Sidney's family who had to take me in, on boyfriends and their lifestyles, on all my friends because I'm so unstable. And now on you! I'm a neon sign that says damsel in distress! The last thing you need."

"Carrie you're not a-" Kane rubbed a hand over his forehead. This was the explanation he wanted, but not the one he expected. He wanted to be there for her, but he didn't have the words or the experience to help her through this rough moment. _'I'm no Katie that's for sure.'_  
"Go ahead say it." Carrie gave a snarky scoff. "I'm not a burden, I'm not nothing. I've heard that time and time again but I know a white lie when I hear one, like I said, I live one."  
"When I'm done with the goon that's after me, Nathan is next. He's the one that made you scream after Edge knocked you out. I'll show him Carrie, he doesn't know anything about you. He messed with the wrong person. I'll beat it into him if I have to, he'll know what nothing is when he sees the shape I leave him in." Kane's words were not sympathetic but angry.  
"I don't need you to go after Nathan. Violence doesn't solve everything Kane, I don't have a hit list of people who have hurt my feelings for you to go out and decimate. I appreciate that you're willing to fight on my behalf but this simply isn't a fight you can win."

"There's no such thing as a fight I can't win." Kane retorted coldly, flexing his broad shoulders as he spoke, thinking over fight after fight in his career, in his life. Kane was not indestructible but he was resilient, he would not let pain get in the way of reaching his goals. He did not always have the upper hand but he had worked hard over the years to make his body and mind a difficult thing for any adversary to overcome, his pure brute strength was something to be marveled at. "Nothing?" He repeated how Carrie had described herself, tilting his head to one side as he glanced over her as a whole. "So everything that's happened the last couple weeks has been nothing?" Kane walked closer to her, grabbing her face in his hand he would not let her look away again.  
"Don't twist my words that's not what I meant but-"  
"If you're just nothing, why is he trying so hard to destroy you." A thumb ran over a damp cheek. In those tears he saw Carrie's own demons flood out. It was finally crystal clear, the major difference between Katie and Carrie. Katie was a nearly etherial being, one that showed Kane that there was light in the world, there was happiness even for a monster like him, a creature lurking in the darkness and misery that engulfed him. In Carrie he saw more of an kindred spirit, someone who understood what it was like to be filled with a lingering hurt, knew what it was like to be cast aside, ostracized, the crushing feeling of being alone to deal with what tortured you. Knew it was easiest to hide from the world that didn't understand you and didn't want to, behind a mask. Though they manifested and dealt with those circumstances differently, they were more alike than met the eye. What made Carrie unique, what made her special was that she understood. She had a seemingly perfect balance of inner darkness as well an illuminating light. There was despair but there was hope, to Kane that was simply bewitching, he wanted to give her the same feeling, the knowledge that she wasn't alone. But the fact still remained, he was a day late and a dollar short with that realization, he had still confused the two women at a critical moment in time. In their present state he couldn't give her anything, as close as they were, as he held her face in his palm, she was so far away, she was outside his reach.

"Destroy me?" Carrie sniffled during a break in the tears.  
"He isn't playing around Carrie." Kane's face contorted in anger. _'He's coming for you, but he'll have to travel through hell fire and brimstone to get to you.'_ Kane was adamant as ever that he would protect Carrie.  
"What do you think he's going to try and kill me? Murder is bit drastic don't you think?" Carrie chuckled at the morbid notion.  
"I don't know what to think." Kane let out a few harsh breaths through his nose. "Like you said, he's got screws loose. He wants me stark raving mad. Like I was when I first came after my brother. People died in that fire Carrie, people I cared about, loved even. To this lunatic you might be a means to and end."

"Means to an end . . . sounds about right." Carrie shrugged, her tear ducks began to well up again. She wasn't sure if she was having a breakthrough moment or if she was so tired she just didn't have the will to fight back the emotions.  
"You can mope around and feel sorry for yourself, or you can let me protect you!" Kane was not capable of being soothing and patient with his support, instead he felt his only course of action was to shove it down her throat that he was still there for her. "I know you're mad but-"  
"I'm not mad Kane, it was bound to happen. If nothing else I'm replaceable. I told a huge white lie to myself when it comes down to it. Tricking myself into believing things would be different, we could be different, but in the end it's more of the same. Once a nothing always a nothing." There was a disturbing aloofness to the way she spoke, as if she was reiterating the obvious.  
"Carrie if . . . if I didn't know it was wrong." He pulled his hand away as fists bunched at his sides, his breath became uneven as he swayed on his toes. "If I didn't care . . ." He tried to take relaxing breaths, he tried to think of anything else to say, but instead he went with his gut reaction. "I'd punch you in the face right now." Kane was seething. _'How can she think this way? How can she think I feel that way? How can she live like this? How could she be so wrong for so long?'_

"Kane don't get carried away, there's no point in getting angry. You don't-"  
"If you say I don't care . . . or shouldn't because you're nothing I don't know what I'll do Carrie. When I need to prove a point I usually get . . . aggressive, I don't . . . I never want to hurt you, but he's been provoking me for too long, we're both too tired, I'm not sure I can hold back much longer." He'd never punch her in his right mind, but he wasn't in his right mind, he was worried nightmares would become reality and the voices might push him to do monstrous things.  
"Just stop it ok?" Carrie began to collect her things off the floor. _'I need to leave, I need to leave right now before one of us snaps.'_ Carrie knew if she got physical it wouldn't do much to the brute, but she was sure her sharp tongue could send Kane spiraling to a very dark place. _'This is what Kane's stalker wants, for us to be at each other's throats, dismantling each other from the inside.'_  
"Stop what?" Kane snatched her suitcase from her, with a hearty grunt he chucked it forcefully at a wall behind him. "You can't leave Carrie, not till you give me a chance, or explain to me why you can't." Kane stepped closer to her, his eyes determined as he stared down at her, he would not let her go without a fight, she was too important to him now.  
"Caring, stop caring so much! It's not that serious, it's not worth the trouble." Carrie stood there defeated.  
"It? You're not an it, and you're not nothing!"  
"I-" Carrie was at a loss for words. Kane's adamancy was taking her by surprise, half a week ago he'd jump at the chance to watch her run out the door, two days ago he couldn't even get her name right, what had so drastically changed? _'For someone who is stuck in the past he won't let go of right now. Why is he fighting so hard? Why did I let it get this far? I pried myself in there, forced myself into his life, knowing damn well something like this would happen. One of these days I'm going to learn from my mistakes.'_  
"I'm not _asking_ you to let me protect you. You can go if you want, I have no intention of begging." He pointed at the door, hoping he wasn't making a mistake, hoping she wouldn't call his bluff, if she walked out it would only reinforce the wall between them. "You've gone and given up but that won't stop me, you might not forgive me for what I did, it doesn't matter, I WILL keep you safe, I won't let anyone get to you, I won't let anyone hurt you, not even me." He waited to see her turn her back, to see her walk out of his life, but she did not move.

"You?" Carrie didn't quite understand. "Kane you're not going to hit me I'm confident in that." Carrie knew Kane was struggling with his mind, she could see it in the way his face was twitching operatically, in the clenching of his fists, but she also knew Kane did in one way or another care for her and she put her faith in the idea that the latter half would triumph.  
"When I said her name, I don't . . . I didn't know why I did it." Kane let out a heavy sigh, his head was still throbbing. "When I first met you, it brought back memories that I had buried, it brought back Katie. I saw her in you, in everyone I looked at, Katie was back in my life. She still is . . . and dammit I can't change that! But I promise you I won't make the same mistake twice! I won't confuse the two of you, you're not Katie, I don't feel the same way about you as I did for Katie." He watched Carrie's eyes drop to the floor. "It's completely different. I didn't know how to deal with it, that's why I looked back to the only person in my life who ever helped me move forward, that's why I needed her again." Kane hoped he had gotten through to her.  
"I'm sorry . . . that I made you relive all that, it must've been hard." Carrie's voice was barely a whisper.  
"It was hard, but nothing has ever come easy to me Carrie, even things normal people take for granted. Trust didn't come easy, care wasn't easy, allowing myself to be happy didn't come easy. Feelings at any level are hard for a monster to embrace, for a machine to understand. I'm working on it OK? That should be enough . . . enough for you to . . . If you can't give me another chance just don't . . . you're my only friend Carrie, don't take that away from me." There was a long silence before Carrie finally looked up, it made Kane's stomach sink. _'It didn't work . . . she doesn't get it, she's going to leave me all alone again.'_  
 **'All alone.'** The voice started up again. **'I told you, she's no different, she's leaving you just like they all do.'**

"Letting go is easy Kane, a lot easier than you think. Sure we can still be friends, you made a mistake, it's not the end of the world, but let go of this hope-" This time Kane took Carrie's face in both of his large hands, his eyes had a mix of madness and conviction pulsing through them.  
"You're not getting it! They keep saying this is how it should be, they're wrong they're not getting it either! I don't care what they say! They don't know me as well as they think, they don't know us. I don't-"  
"They?" Carrie was taken aback by Kane's outburst. "Who are they?"  
"Easy was never in the deck I was given." Kane blatantly ignored her question. "I don't need easy . . . I'm stronger than easy. Letting go isn't going to happen and that's final." Kane took his hands back and moved a few steps away, worried he was coming off more as intimidating than determined. "Now I need you to do me a favor." Kane was done ranting momentarily, he was switching up tactics.  
"What is it?" Carrie was still trying to digest every word of their heavy conversation.  
"I have to go downstairs to get something. I need you to promise me, you won't leave while I'm gone."  
"What do you need?"  
"Promise me you'll stay here. I can't protect you if I don't know where you are, I'll be damned if he gets to you twice in one day."  
"What is it that you need?" Carrie repeated.  
"I can't deal with all this sad . . . it's what I asked for, it's better than that smile but . . . I don't know how to make it better, that's why I always have a plan B." Kane grinned slightly, proud of himself for having a plan of any sort. Carrie waited for further explanation. "You're stubborn, I can't change how you think, but how you feel flips on a dime when there's food involved, especially waffles. What was it you said? They're comfort food. You eat your feelings, and you have a lot of feelings?"  
"Sounds like something I'd say." Carrie nodded with a slight chuckle.  
"I think we both need to get some real food in us." His own stomach was growling, man cannot live on red skittles alone, especially a man as big as Kane. It was certainly not helping either of their moods that they were hungry. "So that's what I'm getting downstairs. Now just stay here, don't run off ok?"  
"Kane it's like five something in the afternoon, most Continental breakfasts end at ten in the morning trust me I would know."  
"I can be very . . . persuasive when I want to be." There was little subtlety in the threatening tone in his voice. "Just STAY HERE." Kane felt he couldn't say it enough, he was still unsure how badly Carrie wanted to get to her friends. On the bright side it seemed as if his hail mary plan had worked. Carrie nodded, walking over to the bed and sat, taking deep breaths the tears had stopped.

While filling themselves with shakily made waffles Kane and Carrie had actually been able to have a conversation, not a screaming match, not an emotional breakdown, or borderline psychosis, after being reunited a sense of normalcy had been restored. "Well this is going to suck." Carrie let out a yawn when she had finally finished her food.  
"What?" Kane had finished an hour ago. He had since been nearly dosing off where he sat, arms folded across his chest, feet rocking his chair back and forth. He only willed himself to stay awake, forcing his eyes to remain open for Carrie's benefit, as long as she was willing to talk to him he would listen. He also had to stay forever vigilant, at some points staring at the door with malice, waiting for someone to bust through.  
"I have to call Sidney and them. I haven't seen or talked to them in two days they-"  
"They're probably dead, how could they go on living without you for so long?" Kane scoffed, stretching slightly.  
"Very funny Kane." Carrie wanted to be offended on her friend's behalf but she couldn't help but laugh.  
"You need rest first, take a nap." Kane watched as Carrie yawned yet again. He was also tired, and also equally dreading Carrie's phone call. He could already hear Sidney's voice which to him sounded like nails on a chalkboard.  
"Maybe I should, it's late right?" Carrie tried to rationalize putting this off. She was using poor logic, it was only seven o'clock.  
"Late enough, you can still catch the tail end of the marathon." Kane nodded over at the T.V.  
"It's still on? Things really are looking up!" 

"Doesn't take much does it?" Kane rolled his eyes but felt a small sense of victory, she wasn't running out on him.  
"No, I guess not." Carrie shrugged. "Kane . . . I've been meaning to ask you-"  
"What?" He didn't meant to be impatient but cranky didn't begin to describe his current state.  
"What happened?"  
"What happened?" Kane was confused. _'I explained to her why I said Katie's name. Did she forget? Did she not believe me?'_  
"The wall." Carrie stood running a hand down the dented plaster, her fingers tracing the outlines of the craters.  
"I got . . . angry." Kane shrugged, he felt slightly embarrassed that the evidence of him losing control was out in the open for Carrie to see. Kane had worked all those years to be a self contained, self controlled monster. He wanted to always be in control, at any cost, but as of recently he had been losing that vice like grip.  
"I see that." Carrie stepped away from the wall, making her way back to Kane. _'All over me? Or all over his stalker? Or all over Katie?'_ Carrie still wasn't sure what was currently fueling his fire. "Let me see." Carrie took Kane's right hand in her's, holding the huge mitt close to her face.  
"It's nothing." Kane watched as Carrie scrutinized his knuckles, her eyes lingering on the torn layer of skin, on the few spots that blood had broken through the surface. His eyes popped open at what Carrie did next. Lifting his hand closer, Carrie leaned in and gave a quick peck to the roughed joints.  
"All better." Carrie gave a quick chuckle as she released Kane's hand. He sat there bewildered for a moment before speaking.  
"Something like that." Kane shrugged again, outside he seemed distant and cold, inside the machine was short circuiting. _'All better? Is it? Is anything better? You're smiling, you're talking, you're caring but can you ever . . . forgive me? I don't know if you have that in you Carrie. What have I done? How do I fix it? I really fucked up. On top of that you're still in danger, he's out there somewhere. I fucked up.'_ Again he glanced over at the door.

"Don't worry." Carrie could see Kane getting more and more worked up.  
"Don't worry? When are you going to take this seriously? He really wants to hurt you and-"  
"Maybe in the morning I'll worry." Carrie yawned. I don't want to go to sleep on bad thoughts, only good things, like turtles and skittles and bubble wrap!" She made her way over to the bed, crumpling gracelessly on the mattress, rolling onto her back.  
"Odd ball." Kane was still angry that Carrie was forcefully ignoring the threat but at the same time happy to see some of the 'old' Carrie resurfacing.  
"I'm not that odd." Carrie retorted in fake insult.  
"And then some." Kane nodded, a small smile of his own growing. _'She is odd, weird . . . she's a freak.'_ Like a lightbulb went off Kane quickly snapped out of his slump. "You know that right?"  
"What?" Carrie was surprised by Kane's new vigor as well as his grin.  
"You're a freak." He gave her what in his own way was high praise.  
"A freak? Heavy word dude but I-"  
"Freaks are better than nothing." Kane would eventually get through to her, eventually build her up in areas where life had apparently broken her down, and he would do it his way. Unfortunately he had a very small window of time to work with.  
"Freaks are good people." Carrie nodded, punctuated with another yawn. "Good company."  
"So . . . ."  
"You too Kane." Carrie was quick to pick up on what Kane was thinking. "I haven't gotten over what happened . . . that might take more time than we have but I don't hate you Kane. I do like you . . . for the freak that you are."

"I want you to come back." Kane blurted out, finally getting to his feet.  
"Huh?" Carrie's head popped up, her body too tired to move with it.  
"You're going home in a couple of days but . . . I've been thinking . . ." He scratched his head, pausing to try and gauge Carrie's reaction, it was one of shock. "If you want to . . . when it's all over, when I send him home in a body bag and it's safe, I want you to come back. Edge isn't the only one with sway, I could get your contract reinstated."  
"Well you are a persuasive guy." Carrie smirked.  
"I am." There was a slightly ominous undertone to his chuckle. "So?"  
"You want me to come back? You sure of that? Remember only a few weeks back you were chewing your own arm off trying to get away from me. I know we muddied the waters with all this . . . stuff." She didn't even know exactly how to classify their relationship. "I'm just saying I don't want your judgement to be clouded, saying something you'll-"  
"Regret? Life is full of regrets, one right after the other. There have been a handful of things I've done in my life that I regret, and dozens more that I legally and morally should, but not this Carrie. I've spent a lot of time thinking about this." Kane spoke slowly, wanting his words to sink in. "I know we won't have . . . what we never had in the first place. . . ." Kane's fists bunched up again. 'It had _been right there, right in the palm of my hand and still I managed to let happiness slip through my fingers. If I can convince her to come back, I'll have another chance, I won't fail again.'_  
"See what I mean? Muddied waters."  
"Even before all the mud I liked having someone . . . having you along with me. Someone to talk to, someone who can deal with my . . . issues." He pointed over at the broken wall. _'She wasn't afraid, she wasn't disturbed, she understood me . . . a freak like me. How do you deal with a monster? How do you understand a machine?'_  
"A friend." Carrie summed up the sentiment. "Someone to kiss your boo boos." She added with a chuckle. 

"Yeah." Kane shrugged, he didn't have much use for friends, but Carrie was different, these last two days had proven to him that things would be empty without her. _'Like it used to be.'_  
 **'Like it should be.'** The voice poked through briefly. Kane walked his mind through the motions he went through every day before Carrie came along. Eat, sleep, destroy, there was nothing else. He didn't talk to anyone, go anywhere, do anything. It was the same monotony day after day.  
 _'I don't want that anymore. I want her . . . freaks are good company.'_ He silently agreed with Carrie's words. "You never answered me." Kane reminded Carrie of his offer, his proposal that she should return to his side.  
"I-" She was cut off by a ringing phone. "Who's that?" Carrie knew there was only a few possibilities and one of them was terrifying.  
"Don't touch it!" Kane rushed to the phone, pausing before answering, he too weighed the options. ' _Is it him again?'_ Angered by the thought he aggressively brought the receiver to his ear, clutching it in an iron grip. "What?"  
"Put Carrie on the phone!" An irritated voice snapped.  
"She's tired."  
"Me me me, my problems! Put her on the god damn phone!"  
"Listen you worthless piece of-" Kane was silenced as Carrie snatched the phone from him, having a solid hunch as to who was on the other end of the line.

"Sidney?"  
"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?"  
"Dude. Phone works just fine, no need to shout." Carrie winced as her eardrums rang.  
"Is that her? Is she ok?" Lizzie could be heard in the background.  
"Peachy. She's just too fucking _tired_ and inconsiderate to pick up a fucking phone and let her fucking friends know she was fucking alive!"  
"Let me talk to her!" Janet called out, for several minutes after that, rustling shoving and cursing was all that could be heard.  
"They're wrestling over the phone." Carrie explained to Kane as to why she was holding the phone away from her face.  
"Hang up. See how long it takes for them to realize you're not there." Kane's blinks were lasting longer than average, his eyelids were growing heavy.

"Take a nap Kane. I'll go over there and face the impending wrath. I promise I'll come back." Carrie craned her ear to hear weather or not the fighting was over, it wasn't.  
"No." Kane begrudgingly shook sleep from his mind. He stood, groaning as he stretched his long limbs.  
"Kane you need rest."  
"So do you."  
"They're my friends, if I don't go over there, they'll come over here, and I don't think you're in the mood to be in the same room as Sidney right now." Carrie figured it was a recipe for disaster. _'You're never in the right mood.'_  
"You don't listen do you?"  
"Huh?"  
"I can't let you go out there alone. It's not safe with him out there. I meant it when I said I would protect you. If you say it'll be fine because you'll be with your friends I swear I will punch a new hole in that wall. I wouldn't trust those idiots with my pet rock."  
"You have a pet rock?"  
"I'm not a cute and fuzzy person type of person, me and animals never really got along."  
"Does it have a name?" Carrie wanted to continue on the tangent, lighten the mood but the rumble on the other end of the call had finally died down.  
"Carrie! Listen here, we're coming over there, you'd better have a good-" Sidney had won the battle for control of the phone.  
"Don't find us, we'll find you." Carrie laughed nervously. "We'll be there quicker than a hiccup. Bye girl bye!" Carrie hung up the phone. "Are you sure you want to go?"  
"No." Kane would have preferred experiencing a drug free root canal than go visit that pigeon coop but what choice did he have? "If you're going, I'm going. But keep those morons in check I have a bone to pick with them." Kane swung the door open with force and began to stomp out of the room.  
"Of course you do. This should be fun!" Carrie rolled her eyes as she slowly followed behind.

"Knock knock!" Carrie tapped feverishly against the door.  
"Carrie!" Lizzie whipped the door open and caught Carrie in a bone crushing hug.  
"Ow Ow! Mercy!" Carrie cried in an over dramatic fashion.  
"Watch her shoulder!" Kane pulled her back in a defensive measure, not cuing in on Carrie's sarcasm.  
"Shoulder? Carrie when'd you hurt your shoulder?" Lizzie thought back to when Kane had grabbed her too roughly. _'That can't still hurt can it?'_ Staring at Kane's biceps she wasn't sure if it was out of the realm of possibilities that a two week old injury squeezed by those arms could still linger.  
"Is that why you didn't call us? God gave you two fucking arms for a reason dumb ass!" Sidney's language got tended to get quite colorful when he was angry. When Carrie ditched out on their plans he was ticked, when any attempt to get in contact was ignored he was absolutely livid. Kane had blocked Carrie's friend's every outlet to get in touch with her, he ignored the pounding on the door and hung up the phone as soon as he heard one of their voices. They had been more of a bother than usual, only reminding him of Carrie while she was gone. "You know sometimes I don't understand what-"  
"Sidney I'm really sorry. There was extenuating circumstances. I know you must've been worried but you see-"

"You." Kane stated coldly as he approached Sidney. Once they were in a stare down Kane grabbed Sidney by the throat.  
"Kane! Calm down! He has every right to be mad at me, let him go!" Carrie pleaded, even the only person who could tame Kane was having no luck, she could see his grip tighten.  
"We need to talk." Kane with ease lifted Sidney off his feet, dangling him awkwardly in the air like the catch of the day.  
"He can't talk if he can't breath! Kane put him down!" Carrie continued to try and talk sense into the monster, it appeared as if he had no interest in sense as he lifted Sidney higher still. _'Is he crazy? What is he doing?'_ Even from Kane it seemed to be an excessive amount of aggression out of nowhere. Finally as if he lost interest Kane let go, letting Sidney crumple to the floor. Looking down at the gasping man Kane didn't even give him time to fully catch his breath before yanking him up by his collar. He dragged the winded Sidney across the floor, into the bathroom locking the door behind them.  
"Open up! Carrie get him to open the door!" Lizzie rightfully began to panic, banging on the door.  
"I . . . I can't." Carrie knew any attempt to sway Kane's mood would be futile, he was in a frenzy. "He won't hurt Sidney." She anxiously stared at the lock. _'I think.'_ She took a step back when she heard a heavy thud against the wood. "I hope." She rephrased that statement.

"Are you insane?" Sidney coughed as Kane held him pinned against the door.  
"Are you stupid." Kane retorted with a snarl.  
"What the hell are you talking about?"  
"How could you do that to her?"  
"What? To who? You're nuts, you freak!"  
"Don't call me that!" Kane pulled Sidney from the door only to slam him against it again. ' _He can't call me a freak. He doesn't know the first thing about being a freak.'_ Kane's resentment for Sidney only grew. "How could you let Carrie think she's a nothing?" He slammed Sidney again. "Huh? Best friend? How could you let Carrie smile all the time. Either you're dumb or you just don't care. Don't tell me you didn't notice." Sidney's back connected against the unforgiving door yet again. "Nothing to say? Best friend? You saw it, you knew it, and you did nothing! You have no idea how much pain she's in do you?" Kane was unrelenting, the verbal berating and the physical assault continued. "To my very core Sidney, I want to show you that pain." Kane went to slam Sidney again, but instead, noticing one more hit would either break Sidney or the door, he let go, dropping the battered man to the tile floor. "But I can't." Kane's face was red, his blood boiling, all this rage and nowhere to expel it.  
 **'You can. You can Kane. Use the hate, the anger, destroy him!'** The voice provoked. For a second it seemed as if Kane would relent, a fist balling up and beginning to rise, but with a shake of his head the fist fell to his side. _'What would that do? If it was up to me I would have destroyed him minutes after meeting him, but he's important to her, he's important to Carrie.'_  
 **'She'll get over it. She doesn't need him anymore. You shouldn't have to share her. He's just getting in the way.'**

" I tried to tell her, she-" Sidney's voice managed to break up Kane's inner battle.  
"You didn't try hard enough. Do you really think Carrie would've given up so quickly if you were in that much pain? What do you think would happen if the roles were switched huh?"  
"I. . ." Sidney was rubbing his sore back. "She would try too, just as hard as I did. Don't act like you know anything about it!" It took all of Sidney's power to stand. "Don't act like you know anything about our friendship. I AM Carrie's best friend. There is nothing we wouldn't do for each other. Hell I didn't let them fucking take her. I went on-"  
"Take her?" Kane didn't understand what Sidney meant by that.  
"See I knew it! I knew you didn't fucking know anything about us. Mr. High and mighty you don't know jack shit ABOUT Carrie. I didn't let them take her into foster care, I could've let them hall her away, throw her into the system but I wouldn't let that happen. How many twelve year olds do you know that went on a hunger strike to save their friends? I forced my parents to talk about it, convinced them to help her, it took two weeks but Carrie is worth it. We took Carrie in, even though it was hard on the family it-"  
"Is that where she got the idea that she was a burden? To sit down shut up and-"

"Shut your fucking mouth before I shut it for you!" In an impulsive move Sidney swung at Kane, colliding with his chin. He continued yelling when he realized it had no effect on the wall of a man. "She wasn't a burden, we never said that! My parents loved her as much as they loved me, hell sometimes more. They loved her as if she was their flesh and blood daughter. I didn't know-"  
"Didn't know what? You didn't see that lifeless smile on her face, day after day?"  
"I did, I'm not fucking blind! Of course I did, and I asked her about it. At first she said it was because she missed her mom and she smiled because that's what she knew her mother would have wanted. That made sense, alone out of nowhere, what kid wouldn't miss her mom? They were so close, Carrie's mom was her hero. Carrie's mom was her biggest fan, always supportive of the fact that Carrie marched to the beat of her own drum. She dyed Carrie's hair green with koolaid packets when she was seven because if it made Carrie happy, that's all she wanted, all she cared about. I remember Carrie would open her lunch bag to see a post it note saying BE YOU almost everyday." Sidney remembered Carrie's mother fondly, he missed her too, he saw a lot of Carrie's mother in her. "You didn't even know Carrie's mom was dead did you?" Sidney was throwing in Kane's face that he knew Carrie better, that he had been a part of her life for years, and would not be shaken off, Sidney was there to stay. Kane didn't respond, he just stood there motionless, he was not used to being humbled.  
 _'She never said anything about her mother. I didn't ask. I don't know much about Carrie, about her past. Am I as bad as they are? Have I been ignoring her?'_

"No, you fucking didn't, and that's why you don't understand. It took a while, but eventually I caught on, Carrie didn't just miss her mom. Carrie had been absolutely crushed by losing her, it left a hole inside of her. All that love and encouragement was gone. No one was there to tell her it was ok to be herself, that there would always be people who would love her the way she was. Nathan just made things worse, he had been fine, even nice to Carrie when her mother was alive, but that all changed when he was 'stuck' with her. She wasn't his child, she was just a reminder that his wife was gone. He was distant, angry, resentful and he took that out on Carrie. He would leave for weeks, leaving Carrie even more alone than she already felt. She didn't tell me for a year and a half, she held it in, because she felt like . . . like a nothing." The word stung as it left Sidney's lips. "When he was around, he plowed that into her impressionable head, that she was nothing but a burden. Maybe he pushed her away because he was hurting too, dealing with his own shit but that wasn't her fucking fault, that's no fucking excuse!" Sidney was still angry, over a decade after all this drama had played out. "That was when smiling became her thing. When she finally opened up she told me. She told everything would be ok as long as she could do that. I tried to tell her that wasn't normal, but she insisted that everyone was happier when she kept that fucking smile on her face. She said smiling made everything a little easier, at least no one would stare at her for being the sad kid, she didn't want to stick out. She didn't want to be HER anymore, she wanted to be normal and if she couldn't be normal she was nothing. Nathan was right there backing her up, letting her know that no one wanted her, everyone was just putting up with her. There were no more notes reminding her to 'be you' there was only a bitter drunk telling her to blend into the crowd because no one really cared. Eventually the adults caught on that Carrie wasn't being cared for, basically fending for herself. That's when we took her in, but you can't undo shit like that. Back then it wasn't as easy to smile, she would break down and cry at random times, but one day it just happened." Sidney took a deep breath, this explanation was taking longer than he thought.

"What happened?" Kane's mind was being saturated with information he didn't even know he had missed out on. _'Her childhood was torn from her, I know what that feels like. Maybe that's why she's so care free now. Making up for what she missed out on.'_ Kane was practically taking notes, he would indulge Carrie's childlike tendencies, they were something she deserved.  
"She stopped crying . . . she said she had run out of tears, the rest was history. One day she just gave up on showing emotion and put all her energy into smiling. She cries occasionally, gets angry, connects with people, she . . . feels, we're making progress, but it's fucking hard ok? From that point on she mostly smiled, it's something she's having a hard time getting over. But I'm sure your yelling at her is fucking helping. I'm glad you took anytime out of your fucking day to get to know her. You know what? You're right. I've just dropped the ball all this time and in the three and a half fucking minutes you've known her you know best, you'll just say: Hey Carrie stop smiling and poof all fucking better! You didn't know any of that did you? You start to like her and now you're her white knight and we're the bad guys. We just ignored it? I didn't just try, I'm still trying. And just so you know, you might have Carrie convinced you're a gentle giant, but I can see you for what you really are, I can see why they call you a monster, you're out of control, it's just a matter of time before you hurt her, bad. You don't like me? Good, that means I'm doing my job, I'm trying to pull you two apart. You're no good for her, you're not safe for her."  
 _'Not safe? I . . . I'd never hurt her. I'll prove him wrong . . . I'll prove them all wrong. I'm no white knight, but I will be by Carrie's side, he's not pulling us apart. I won't let him.'_ Kane grabbed Sidney by the collar again, but instead of slamming him against the door he simply shoved him out of the way, unlocking the door and stepping out.

"Sidney you're alive! Kane you didn't kill him! I'm so proud of both of you." Lizzie let out a sigh of relief.  
"I'm not out of control." Kane glared behind him at Sidney before distancing himself from the group.  
"That's good." Carrie nodded with a chuckle. After some long silence, and the group inspecting the red marks on Sidney's back, Janet finally spoke.  
"So what kept you from killing him?"  
"Tired." Kane shrugged, he walked over to Carrie putting a hand carefully on her shoulder guiding her slightly away from her friends. Carrie looked up at him, he was staring, not in his usual angry way, not in a lustful way, it was something else entirely, something she couldn't put her finger on.  
"Kane are you OK?" Carrie could tell he was not all there.  
"I need to ask you something."  
"Sure." She nodded, starting to feel slightly nervous.  
"When are you going to tell me about yourself? I don't . . . I don't really know anything about you. You don't tell me anything."  
"Well if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black." Carrie rolled her eyes. "What is it you want to know?"  
"I don't know . . . I want to know you better. I don't have any friends I-"

"You've got us!" Lizzie had been eavesdropping as per usual.  
"What?" Kane scowled, he hadn't wanted to talk to anyone but Carrie.  
"You've got Carrie you got us, we're a package deal." Janet patted Kane on the back. Sidney could be heard scoffing from off to the side.  
"Great." Kane grunted.  
"Come on, you like us a little right?" Janet elbowed him in the ribs.  
"You are three of the most annoying people I know. I've tried to shake you, trust me." Kane glanced over at Sidney, who was staring him down, obviously still furious over Kane's accusations. _'Package deal, sure.'_  
"I will read between the lines and take that as a yes." Janet shrugged contently.  
"I don't care what you do." Kane sneered. 'I guess they _have their uses, they make Carrie happy, they know what I don't. I can deal with them if I have to.'_ Kane let out a sigh, knowing they were going nowhere soon. He looked over at Lizzie. "Is the T.V on?"  
"What? No, but what do you want to watch?" Lizzie smiled, glad Kane was coming down from his rage.  
"Weakest link is on." Kane shrugged.

"Seriously?" Sidney finally spoke up.  
"Shut up I love that show!" Carrie brushed off Sidney's negativity.  
"I know! You watch it every Thursday! Ever fucking thursday, there's more than one channel Carrie!"  
"Do you actually like it Kane? Or do you just watch it cause Carrie does?" Janet was legitimately curious. _'Does this guy have any likes of his own? It seems like he just goes along with whatever Carrie likes. He's kind of a big pushover.'_ As she mulled that over, she and Lizzie laid out on the one bed.  
"It's a show, it's on late, so are we." Kane replied nonchalantly. _'A bit of both.'_ The show was the first interest he and Carrie had in common. They didn't have to talk while watching, which made it easier for Kane to spend time with her. They grew competitive over who could get more answers right, one of the first baby steps to friendship. Carrie would fall asleep on Kane's chest as they binge watched marathons, one of the first steps to being more than friends.

"Here." Sidney groaned as he threw the remote to Carrie. She feverishly flipped through the channels till her show popped on, she parked herself on the floor in front of the second bed.  
"Yes!" Carrie shouted in delight. ' _Something normal for a change.'_ She let out a deep, relaxed sigh. "Sit, sit!" She patted a spot on the floor next to her.  
"Me?" Kane didn't know if Carrie was calling for him or Sidney, unsure if Carrie was still trying to keep her distance.  
"I'm still fucking pissed, so park up big guy, just try not to tackle her on your way down." Sidney had since taken a spot normally reserved for Kane, sitting angry in the corner.  
"There's no need to take it out on Kane that you're-"  
"Take it OUT on Kane? Did you miss the twenty minutes of him trying to send me through a fucking door?"  
"I . . . we all know damn well you're never going to get an apology for that. I'M trying to apologize for having you guys worry about me. What do I have to do to get off your shit list?" Carrie was scrambling to defuse this situation, she could see both men getting riled up again, if it led to a second collision she dreaded to think of what would happen to Sidney.  
"It wasn't your fault, stop saying you're sorry and just watch your show." Kane wanted to do nothing more than bash Sidney's face in for continuously snapping at Carrie but he was doing his best to restrain himself. If he lashed out that would only prove Sidney right, that he was dangerous, that he flew off the handle and he was possibly a threat to Carrie. _'Best friends. . . must be something complicated because I just don't get it.'_ He slowly sat himself down next to Carrie.

"Oh get over yourself! Just because you're a big bully doesn't make you the grand wizard of everything" Sidney wasn't even sure if he was mad at Carrie anymore. All he could think of was his concern over Kane's intrusion on his and Carrie's relationship. It had been quite some time since Sidney had been forced to share her attention with another man. Someone who felt they knew best for her. Sidney was determined, he would not be easily replaced. _'Kane's crazy is rubbing off on you Sid. Carrie couldn't replace me if she wanted to, I'm her brother plain and simple, there's no replacing family. I can't tell if Kane's worse than Fisher. Fisher was a douche, a player, a tease, I had to pick up the pieces every time they took a break. But he never tried to come between me and Carrie. Kane seems to care about Carrie in his own . . . creepy way, but he doesn't respect me . . . at all.'_ He stopped inner monologuing when he heard Carrie snicker.  
"Grand wizard. I like that." Carrie reached out for an air five but Sidney made no attempt to move, she then tried to receive one from Kane, who just stared at her a glazed over 'not having it' look in his eyes.  
"I don't do sloppy seconds." He focused his attention back on the T.V.  
"You both suck." Carrie folded her arms and watched the show.  
"I'll take it, sloppy seconds are very much my style." Janet lifted her palm, and the two women motioned towards one another. 

"Psst . . . Sidney!" Carrie tried to beckon him over as the credits to the current episode began to roll.  
"Can't just shout it?"  
"It's probably some stupid best friend secret." Kane rolled his eyes, not breaking his gaze from the screen, until from the corner of his eye he saw Carrie stand. _'Where's she going?'_ He watched her walk over to Sidney's corner. Kane nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Carrie sit on Sidney's lap.  
"Relax asshole. I know you never had any friends but that doesn't mean you have to be such a buzz kill." Sidney threw Kane a shooing gesture. "What's up?"  
"Sidney if you don't cool it the buzz isn't the only thing that'll be killed around here." Janet and Lizzie were trying to keep out of the line of fire, but Janet couldn't sit by and watch her friend go up in flames.  
"Three things, first of all that was really fucking mean and Kane does have friends so rest your breasts, secondly . . . look I really am sorry ok?"  
"I don't forgive . . . but you know my memory I'll forget soon anyway."  
"What do want an apology written in blood?" Kane stood, but reluctantly sat back down, trying to keep his composure.

"Sidney this is the secret part." Carrie leaned over towards his ear. Sidney stripped off his sweatshirt, creating a makeshift curtain between Carrie, himself, and the rest of the room.  
 _'They're talking about me right in front of my face.'_ Kane stood again, every body in his muscle tensed.  
 **'Brother? Best friend? It's more than that Kane. You see it don't you? She's toying with your emotions, she's probably fucking his brains out when you're not around. If you want her, you have to take her . . . by force.'** Yet again the voices suggested harsh consequences.

"Sidney would you be mad?"  
"Mad? Why? Over what? You know I'm just busting your balls right?"  
"If Kane and I . . ."  
"You two already made out in the bar. Did you two have sex? Are you pregnant? Is that why you couldn't come and talk to me? Whatever your choice is I-" Sidney was cut off by a single finger crushed against his lips.  
"I'm not pregnant Sidney." Carrie replied flatly.  
"Good. I'm not fucking babysitting that demon seed." Sidney let out a sigh of relief. ' _There's still time . . . to separate them.'_  
"From that I'm assuming me and Kane dating is a no go?" Carrie looked to her friend, her brother for advice. She knew there was something still there between her and Kane, she knew she still wanted to be more than friends, it was still salvageable but she wasn't sure if that was the right decision.  
"Absolutely fucking not! That is literally the worst fucking decision you could fucking make Carrie. . . ever."  
 _'Guess I should have seen that coming.'_ Carrie bit down on her lip unpleased by Sidney's opinion.  
"BUT" Sidney let out a large sigh. _'Can't giver her an ultimatum, that'll just make her want the big freak more.'_ Sidney grimaced, he truly did not like nor trust Kane. "And it's a big fucking but, if you HAVE to make this TERRIBLE decision and learn the hard way that I'm right . . . I'll have your back like I always do." One side of the sweatshirt wall fell as he tussled Carrie's hair, partially to put Carrie to ease and partially because he knew it would irritate Kane. His later goal was reached in spades and it read all over Kane's face.

 **'He's taking what's rightfully yours.'**  
 _'She isn't rightfully mine. Shut up!'_ Kane's headache resurged.  
 **'Still, if you can't have her why should he? Why should Sidney get to be happy? Why should Sidney have Carrie.'**  
 _'I can't do anything about it.'_ Kane stared at the huddled mass that was Carrie and Sidney.  
 **'If you want her Kane, you can have her, you can take her. So what if he fights you for her? You fight harder. Teach him a lesson, make him an example of what happens when people try to get between you and her. Don't you think that would convince her that you care about her? This is a ticket out of the dog house.'** Though Kane knew the voices were wrong, knew beating Sidney into the floor would do no good, it was if there was a spell over him, he started to slowly lumber forward, with all intention of hurting someone. **'If you can't have her no one can Kane!'**  
 _'Shut up!'_  
 **'She'll act mad but really what she wants, is for you to save her from him.'**  
 _'Save her?'_ Kane was slipping farther into the delusion as step by step he got closer.

"You have my back? Terrible decision? This is our early twenties all over again." Carrie laughed, glad in the most meager of ways she had Sidney's support.  
"If you had my back when I dated that psycho chick that smelled like burnt rubber-"  
"Penny."  
"You remember her name?" Sidney felt a bit guilty that he had totally forgotten his ex girlfriend's name. _'You would think I would remember her name, seeing as she key'd it into my car.'_ Sidney shrugged. _'Oh well.'_  
"We used to call her position a day Penny cause she a calendar that literally . . ."  
"Yup! Point is you knew Penny was bad for me-"  
"She put a cigarette out on a man's head that's crazy you don't want a part of."  
"And now we're here." Sidney's tone was one of annoyance, not enjoying being cut off time and time again. "You warned me, I went nascar deep anyway and it did not end well, but you had by back all the way to the end. So if I have to take copious amounts of steroids to bulk up and beat him down when shit hits the fan between you two so be it." It was nowhere near a blessing but it was something. The other half of Sidney's sweatshirt was torn from him, looking up from their seat they saw the glowing eyes of an angry demon.

"Kane is everything ok?" Carrie waved a hand in front of his unbroken stare. Kane took Carrie's wrist and yanked her up from Sidney's lap.  
"We need to go."  
"Don't pull on her like that! You're hurting her!" Sidney shot up and gave Kane a shove. In response Kane grabbed Sidney by the face, shoving him to the floor with a burst of force. He looked over, seeing Carrie's wrist was still in his had, looking down he could see her spooked face, he quickly broke the grasp, stepping away from Carrie like a scolded child.  
"I'm . . . I didn't mean to hurt you. . . I was trying to s-" It finally clicked that Kane had let the voices trick him into being the monster Sidney claimed him to be. "I won't hurt you I promise, you don't have to be scared." Kane looked at Carrie for forgiveness, then when her blank look and constant smile didn't bring him any peace he glanced over at the door. "I'll wait outside." He huffed before making his way to the exit.  
"Kane stop!" Carrie grabbed his hand. "You gotta take a minute. You gotta calm down, take breaths" She paused watching as he began to swallow in air, in through his nose out through his mouth. "Once I'm convinced you're not going to go on a blood thirsty rampage we have a bigger issue at hand."  
"Bigger issue?" Kane was apprehensive, he knew she was upset, but what was the most important topic at hand?

"I'm tired." Carrie chuckled, she gave Kane's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Fuck that I'm downright exhausted." Moving in closer Carrie leaned against the arm attached to the hand she was holding. "I know Kane, I know you don't want to hurt me. I'm not scared." She whispered up at him, the wave of relief that washed over Kane was visible.  
"Do you want to go back to the room?"  
"Carrie you can stay here, your show is still on." Sidney quickly proposed. _'Did she not just see him turn into a mad man? She didn't listen to me at all, totally ignored how bad of an idea this is. She's really going to go curl up with that deranged freak?'_ He grimaced at the thought.  
"No, she can't. Unless you want me to stay here too." Kane wanted to get out and fast.  
"When did you become such a possessive asshole?" Janet chimed in, Lizzie had remarkably fallen asleep and staid asleep amidst all this, it was now only the four of them.  
"Don't bother I already tried." Sidney scoffed.  
"Come here." Kane broke from Carrie's hold and grabbed Sidney by the back of his head, fingers knotting up in his shaggy hair.  
"Kane!" Carrie hadn't expected yet another temper flair up.  
"I need to show him something we'll be right back." He was guiding Sidney over to the window.  
"Last time you two talked you almost broke Sidney in half!" Janet made a solid point.  
"For just five minutes mind your own business! If I wanted to really hurt him, you'd be picking up his teeth off the ground by now." Kane was not convincing anyone it was a good idea for the two men to get in another 'talk'.  
"Mind my own business? You're being a huge dick and-"

"Just let go of my hair, and show me whatever it is you want to show me ok?" Sidney shook himself free.  
"Move the curtain." Kane and Sidney approached the windowsill.  
"What?" Sidney peered out the window into the ever growing darkness of the night. "I don't see any-"  
"Look closer moron." Kane slammed Sidney's face into the glass. Making sure Sidney's eyes followed his pointing finger. Finally it came into view, a man sitting on the hood of Kane's car.  
"Is that-"  
"He's out to . . ." Kane lowered his voice, he had already done a great job of spooking Carrie, he didn't need her to be even more on edge. "He's out to get her, I can't let her out of my sight." It infuriated Kane that his doppelganger had the bravado to simply wait outside for him.  
"Why her? What did she do? What did you do?" Sidney spun around to Carrie.  
"In regards toooo?" Carrie was left in the dark with this one.  
"Shut the hell up idiot!" Kane snarled. "She needs sleep, you making her paranoid won't help. I can protect her, she doesn't need to worry, just leave him to me."

"Carrie?"  
"Yup?" She was attentive to her friend who she was just glad wasn't a puddle on the floor.  
"Here's five dollars go to the vending machine-"  
"What am I chop liver?" Janet chimed in again.  
"Fine." Sidney let out a heavy sigh. "You two go fight to the death over snacks." Pulling out a crumpled five dollar bill he threw it at Janet.  
"This is an excuse for you two to talk in secret . . . you sure about that?" Carrie was not fooled by Sidney's distraction, and couldn't fathom why Sidney was initiating another confrontation.  
"Come on, I'm bored with this same old fight anyway." Janet stood and pushed Carrie closer to the door.  
"Sidney I-"  
"Go, I'll play nice I promise." Sidney tried to reassure her with a nod.  
"Kane?" She figured she had missed some secret bro code moment.  
"He's been a dick all day, he doesn't get a vote." Janet dragged Carrie out, and in a flash the two women were gone.

"What in the hell was that?" Kane gave Sidney a shove, there was no civility to be had.  
"What?"  
"I show you someone stalking the building and you send Carrie out on a junk food run?"  
"You didn't stop her." Sidney was not about to become the scapegoat again.  
"I . . . I don't want her to be scared . . . she has nothing to be afraid of, I'll protect her!" The phrase was almost becoming a slogan. "But if she's afraid of me there's-" Kane had realized, again slightly too late, he had been uncomfortably aggressive the last few hours, he didn't want Carrie to believe he had any intention to 'bully' her.  
"Lets say, HYPOTHETICALY, she doesn't need to be afraid of you, and that nut job outside is the real problem . . . I think you're taking this storyline a little too seriously. He totally is creepy and he is after you, obviously. He's probably out there, sitting with a handful of camera men around filming, setting up a promo to use later, pump up your rivalry." Sidney shrugged, he thought Kane among many other psychological disorders, was suffering an intense case of paranoia.  
"He's been grabbing her, shoving her. He's been taking pictures of her . . . the things he says . . . he's the one taking this rivalry too far! He's always out there, trying to turn Carrie against me, trying to get to her. There's nothing he isn't willing to do to bring me down!" Kane couldn't understand how no one else could see the legitimate threat this man posed. 

"You know you sound crazy right?" Sidney scoffed, he was not buying into Kane's theory. "Sure he's too rough on her, I've been keeping eyes on both the Kane's trust me. But come on-"  
"He's not going to stop! He's trying to get me angry, to the point-"  
"Then he must be crazy too. You're always angry."  
"When I first got to this company, I wasn't just angry. I was out for blood. I wanted broken bones I wanted anguish, I wanted bodies pulled out on stretchers, anything less was a waste of my time. I wanted everyone to feel this . . . to feel my pain! I was a mindless, rabid animal. I didn't play by the rules, there were no rules, no limits, no boundaries, only victims! He wants me back to that point. I've caged that level of rage, I've-"  
"So this is rage light?"  
"THIS ISN'T A JOKE! WHY WON'T ANYONE LISTEN?!" Kane's voice boomed in the nearly empty room. He was growing more and more frustrated as the minutes passed, but he had to reel himself back in, he had to make someone understand. "It would take A LOT to get me back to that stage of depravity. He's found just the right button to push. He's coming for the only person I care about. He's insane, he's truly embodied what I used to be under that mask. He won't think twice about hurting Carrie. This isn't a storyline to him, I can't figure it out, but to him . . . it's personal."  
"You're saying Carrie is in real danger?"  
"The way he talks about her, it's disgusting, I can't let him get to her again. I won't let him hurt her." Kane didn't care whether or not he had Sidney's blessing, someone would have to drag his cold dead body away from Carrie's side.  
"Idiot call the cops if it's that serious." It seemed such a simple fix to Sidney. "Get a restraining order or something."  
"Like I said before. When you're a monster, like us. . . " Kane truly did not want to compare himself to his stalker but there were some glaring similarities, aesthetics aside. "There are no rules, no laws. You do whatever you want because you can, and from experience, what a monster wants . . . isn't pretty." The ominous words hung in the air till the door swung open.

"And boom goes the dynamite! Skittles and Oreos for all!" Carrie held a fist full of goodies in the air victoriously.  
"Huh?" Lizzie's eyes cracked open ever so slightly.  
"These fritos are mine, back off bitches!" Janet spoke through a mouthful of chips, reclaiming her spot on the bed. Lizzie lost interest quickly and returned to her sleep. Sidney was wide eyed, paralyzed as he stared at Carrie, his best friend was right in front of him, in grave peril, and he could do little to nothing about it.  
"Everything ok?" Carrie was unnerved by Sidney's grim face.  
"You look awful." Sidney's response was robotic and dry.  
"Ouch uncalled for."  
"I mean awful like . . . you need some fucking sleep woman!" He tried to appear as the same old crass Sidney. "You guys can both stay here if-"  
"No." Kane quickly turned down the offer.  
"Sid, I don't honestly think there's room for the three of us on that bed." Carrie ripped open the bag of oreos, sniffing the treat before devouring one. _'Kane and I have a hard enough time navigating a bed. It's a tight fit sometimes, man takes up a lot of space.'_  
"Kane can sleep on the floor." Sidney was desperately trying to think of ways to keep Carrie in his sights.  
"First come, first serve, seems fair." Janet chewed loudly. "Sorry Kane, fair is fair."  
"We're NOT staying here." Kane spoke louder, hoping to get through to Carrie's dense friends. He wanted to go back to his own bed, go to sleep, forget the last three days ever happened, wake up and start everything off fresh. 

"Why are you trying to split up the group scary movie style? Safety in numbers duh!" Sidney crashed a fist into his skull.  
"Safety?" Carrie again felt out of the loop.  
"Idiot." Kane muttered at Sidney, staring daggers at the blabber mouth. "Just forget about it. Say your goodbyes and lets get going. You might have to drive, I'm about to pass out." All this arguing had exhausted Kane. He rubbed his face, trying to wake himself. With no success he handed over the keys to Carrie.  
"You heard the man, we gots to go." Carrie smiled, the day was nearly over. "So Sidney how long till you forgive me?" She was taken by surprise as she was caught in a tight hug, nearly a death grip.  
"I'm over it." He squeezed even tighter. 'I _f anything happened . . . and she thought I was still mad at her . . . nothing will happen.'_ He shook his head, trying to shake his worry. "Stay safe out there ok?"  
"What's with this whole safe kick?" Carrie began to wonder if Sidney had been paid a visit he failed to mention. "Sidney did that guy-"  
"What guy?" Sidney laughed nervously, he agreed with Kane that scaring Carrie would accomplish nothing, she tended to overreact as it was. "Be safe like no jay walking, stranger danger, brush your teeth twice a day!"  
"Smooth." Kane scoffed.  
"Bit me Jerk off." Sidney and Kane would forever be at each other's throats, even when agreeing on a topic.  
"Onnnn that note . . . deuces!" Carrie flashed a sideways peace sign before taking Kane's hand a steering him towards the door, they left before Kane got hostile yet again.  
"Bye" Janet waved at their backs as they made their exit.

"Kane?"  
"What?" As the couple walked through the parking lot he barely looked at Carrie, scanning the dark space for threats. _'He's out here somewhere . . . I know he is, I saw him.'_  
"Do you think he . . . your stalker . . . went to their room? Sidney seemed more concerned than usual."  
"They have nothing to worry about, neither do you. I told you I won't let him hurt you. He's all talk anyway. When I wore that mask, I didn't say a thing, I didn't have to, my actions spoke for themselves."  
"He does talk . . . a lot." Carrie tried not to let his words repeat in her head. "Do you have any idea who it could be?"  
"Don't know." Kane shrugged, keeping his words to a minimum he continued to squint into the night. _'He sounds familiar, but I can't place it. It must have been from a while ago but-'_  
"Kane watch out!" But it was too late, with commanding force Kane had been tackled to the pavement. 


	13. Hit and run

"Oh Fuck Oh Fuck! What do I do? What the fuck do I do?" Carrie began to rush towards Kane's side but was halted as she saw him get hoisted to his feet only to be met with a short arm clothesline. The sound of Kane's skull colliding with the asphalt was sickening. Kane's head was in excruciating pain, ears ringing, his sight blurry, vertigo was beginning to set in.  
"All talk Kane? I'm insulted." Kane gasped for air, clawing and pushing at the heavy weight of the boot against his throat. "I have to supercharge you just to get a fair fight." The pressure was released just in time to allow Kane to hold onto his consciousness.

Carrie hid behind a car, pulling out her phone as she watched in horror as Kane's all but comatose body was lifted to it's feet yet again.  
"Hello 911 What is your emergency?"  
"Summit Inn! I don't know what to do? What do I do?" Carrie's voice was cracking on the verge of tears. She knew what Kane would do if the situation was flipped. Kane would do whatever it took to keep Carrie safe, he had said it time and time again. It was an unfair comparison though, Kane had the advantage of a hundred plus pounds and nearly two solid feet on Carrie, more importantly so did his impostor. "I mean there might be a tire iron in the trunk! That might work right?" Carrie was hastily brainstorming out loud, desperately pulling at straws to find a way to save Kane from this assault.  
"Miss are you being attacked? Help is on the way, what is your name?"  
"Not me! I'm not getting attacked Kane is! He's hurt . . . bad! Less talking more . . . ambulance . . . ing. AHHHH!" Kane had been thrown, shoved or otherwise propelled into the windshield of the car Carrie had been ducking behind. Clasping a hand over her mouth to keep hidden she dropped the phone and began to sprint away.

"The first sign of trouble and you're all alone Kane. That's how it always ends doesn't it? You, alone, no one and nothing to help you through the pain." Kane felt as if his back was on fire, shards of glass of varying size and shapes were embedded and digging into his skin. His head was a mess, he couldn't focus on anything, it took all he had to stay conscious.  
 _'Alone?'_ Long after being stated the word finally sunk in. _'Where is she?'_ He tried to lift himself from the wreck but simply couldn't muster the strength.  
"It's fine, don't get up." There was a hint of laughter slipping past the mask. "Don't worry I'll find her."  
"Don't you . . ." Kane groaned as he tried to sit up only to collapse back down, agitating and increasing his wounds. "Don't you touch her." Kane clenched his fists trying to force his dazed body into action.  
"You're threatening me?" Again a mocking tone dripped from the man's voice. "You..." He punched Kane straight in the jaw. "You are in no position my friend. I told you, past your prime. You can't even protect yourself from me let alone-" The masked man was cut off.

Carrie had smashed the brute in the back of the neck with the tire iron she had gone to fetch. He fell to one knee but was not out of commission as she had hoped.  
"Carrie!" Kane was finally able to lurch himself forward.  
"There you are! Saved me the trouble of finding you!" The man kneed the back of his neck as he stood.  
 _'What is this guy?'_ Carrie gawked as he sluggishly regained his footing.  
"Run!" Kane shouted, panic overcame pain as he imagined what would happen to Carrie while he was admittedly in no shape to protect her from this monster. Carrie stood frozen, shaky hands held up the tire iron as if it was Excalibur. Her pulse raced as she watched as the daunting figure approached.  
"Boo!" Said monster taunted. As if shaken from a stupor Carrie took Kane's advice and began her sprint. As much as she knew she could not out muscle him, she was confident she could out run him.  
 _'I'm faster than him. I know I am!'_ She panted as she wove throughout the parking lot. That theory was put to the test as he took long stomping strides after her.

 _'At least I got his attention. Kane wouldn't have lasted much longer.'_ Her face grew red as she continued to zig zag nonsensically between cars.  
"You're just making this harder on yourself, I'll catch you eventually!" Her pursuer bellowed as the chase continued. "If you keep running, if I lose you, I'll simply have to go back to Kane, what's left of him. I get bored very easily" The statement made Carrie freeze.  
"What is wrong with you?" Carrie with heavy hesitation turned around, approaching the giant, weapon in hand. "Why are you doing this? What do you want?" Carrie was at a loss, she wanted answers for why someone would go to such obscene levels of violence.  
"Kane's going to make me famous! I just need him in the right frame of mind. You're going to help me with that Carrie. You're my golden ticket! All I need to do is reach out and-" He lunged to grab her but she cracked the metal bar into his ribs. She went to swing again but this time he grabbed the tool, yanking it from her grasp with ease.  
"I don't think you're doing it right. Leave the bone breaking to me." He raised the weapon above his head. Carrie tried to run again, but as she turned he dropped one hand, taking a fist full of her hair, holding her in place. "I told you. Running would only make it worse." Carrie closed her eyes as she waited for the heavy blow, but it never came. Her long bronze locks were released as a large thud could be heard behind her. Free, she quickly spun to see what had transpired.

"Kane!" Carrie gasped, she could barely see him through the shadows but she could hear his labored breathing. He had hobbled his way after them, bleeding from almost every part. Drops fell down to the pavement, as he looked over the man he managed to take down. Without hesitation he dropped to his knees, pinning his counterpart to the ground he began berating him with a melee of punches. When satisfied that he was incapacitated Kane lifted the mess of a man by his hair and smashed his head into the hood of a car, repeating the action again and again.  
"I told you . . ." Kane was panting as he slammed the masked face into the vehicular. "I told you not to touch her!" Pausing he leaned down meeting his victim eye to eye. "Don't you ever touch her!" Another thud echoed in the night. "Past my prime?" And another. "I'll crush you! I'll destroy you! Rip you limb from limb!" Still another.  
"That's the spirit." Slurred words came from the mangled mouth, still eating metal as blow after blow was delivered. "Get angry Kane." This laugh was different, demented, almost as if he was enjoying the assault.  
"I won't tell you again." The fight or flight adrenaline spike was wearing off, Kane was beginning to lose energy and ever more blood. He finally took the time to gauge his own damage, he could see blood cresting over his broad shoulders. As brutalized as he was, he still had a message to relay. "Don't EVER touch-"  
"I break it I buy it?"  
"She's not an it!" Kane threw the man face first into the concrete at his feet.

"Kane come on! We need to get you to a hospital!" A still shocked Carrie finally spoke up. _'You made your point.'_ As she inched closer she couldn't tell where Kane's blood ended and the battered man's began.  
"Then tell me Kane . . ." Barely a cough made it to Kane's still ringing ears. "What is she? You're telling me you could do anything better than just a thing . . . just . . . it." A slow rising finger pointed over at Carrie before going lax and falling to his side. "Gutter trash, ring rat dolled up and you know it!" Even in his scrambled rambling he knew how to get a rise out of Kane.  
"Kane come on." Carrie took Kane's arm to pull him away but he quickly jerked it back pushing her off.  
"Carrie stay back!" He had a clear outlet for his rage, but he still wanted to make sure he didn't accidentally hurt Carrie, when he saw red no one was safe. " I won't let him talk to you like that! I'll bust every tooth out of that snarky mouth of his. I'll SHUT HIM UP . . . for good." He kicked the sternum of the fallen man, smirking slightly at the guttural groan of pain passing through his lips.  
"Who cares what he thinks?! I know you think I'm more than-"  
"I don't think it Carrie I-"  
"Ok Ok you know I'm more than that, I don't need anything more. I don't need his opinion cause that's what really is gutter trash. Please lets go!" Carrie was worried Kane might take this assault to a much darker, more macabre place. Carrie put herself in harms way, again approaching Kane in his deranged state. She hugged an arm close to her chest, she could feel that blood had seeped through his clothing. "Please lets go."  
 _'She's shaking.'_ In the arm wrapped around him he could feel her shudder. _'She's terrified.'_ He finally stepped away from his victim. _'She's seen the real monster I can be. I lost control again.'_  
 ** _'You liked it!'_**  
"Shut up!" He spoke out loud clenching his eyes shut, lifting a palm to his scrunched brow.  
"Kane?" She could feel him beginning to lose his footing, she was concerned he would pass out any minute.  
"Carrie . . . I'm not like him!" Opening his eyes, watching her nod calmed him ever so slightly.  
"I know. Please let go." She pleaded again.  
"Fine. Do you remember where the car is parked?" Kane asked as if he hadn't just moments ago left a human soup next to him.  
"I . . . er . . . an ambulance is coming. I called 911."  
"My insurance doesn't cover this kind of head on collision. We better go." Kane made a somewhat morbid joke.  
"Alright." Carrie nodded with much hesitation. "Lets go back to the hotel." Lifting Kane's arm over her shoulder, trying her best to bear the brunt of his weight, the duo began to walk.

"Can you sit down?" Carrie opened Kane's door, squirming and adjusting, trying to find a comfortable position for the still bleeding man.  
"It's not so bad." Kane groaned as his back hit the chair. "We need to make a stop before we-"  
"A stop?! What could possibly be more important than getting you home to rest?"  
"A drug store . . . need some . . . ." Kane let out another groan. "Ice packs . . . tweezers, ibuprofen and a sewing kit."  
"You want me to sew your cuts shut? You're absolutely bananas!" There was a nervous, less than confident tone to Carrie's voice.  
"Just the ones I can't reach." He flexed slightly, looking over his shoulder devising a game plan to the daunting task of patching himself back together.  
"Sounds like you've done this before."  
"You'd be surprised." He kept an ever watchful gaze on her as she walked to the driver's seat.  
"Who do you think I am? McGyver? I don't know if I can do all that." She weighed her options, she wanted to do anything to help Kane, but she worried if she attempted she would do more harm than good.  
"Don't be stupid. You can do it. Plus I know you're not McGyver, your skin alone is more-"  
"Really? Now of all times is when you decide to get your flirt game on? Never mind that, how much pain are you in?" He was paler than normal and that brought Carrie great concern. 

"How are you? He didn't hurt you did he? I swear if you had just given me two more minutes I would have-" He couldn't finish, he let out a hiss of pain as his muscles tightened in rage.  
"Are you crazy? You can't be serious. Kane, priorities! You can't worry about me when you're a mess from head to toe." She felt a wave of guilt as she noticed the seriousness of Kane's stare.  
"Answer the question Carrie." He didn't see any visible marks on her, but he worried in their short time apart perhaps his masked counterpart had gotten to her.  
"I'm fine Kane, you saved me, not a scratch." She gave a thankful smile. A twinge of helplessness and guilt tugged at her. _'I wish he didn't always need to save me. I wish I could take better care of myself.'_  
"Good." He nodded. He hadn't given Carrie's track record a second thought, it was coming as second nature to protect her, to do whatever he needed to keep her at his side. It didn't bother him in the slightest, other than the obvious flesh wounds only one thing was bothering the machine at the moment.  
 ** _'You saved her? You caused all this Kane. Stop denying what you're doing to her.'_**  
 _'I'll fix it, I'll keep her safe till I cremate that bastard.'_  
 ** _'Keep telling yourself that. Don't ever blink Kane, or he'll take her from you. Everyone is against you. Everyone wants to rip any happiness out of your life. Your soul will be in tatters when he finally gets to her. Do you see now? The torturing hell you've brought on both of you? Killing him is your only option at this point, because from my point of view he's killing you._** '  
 _'I won't let you get to me. Not again.'_ The nightmare of choking the life out of Carrie flashed through his mind.  
 _ **'It's just a matter of time Kane, you're a ticking time bomb. I'll be there when the timer runs out, I always am.'**_

"Kane? Kane are you sure you're alright? I really think you need to see a doctor" She had already called his name twice but he hadn't responded, just continued to stare into the darkness, a glazed almost lifeless look to his eyes.  
"I'm not going back to that asylum!" Kane misinterpreted her concern, jumbling it with the conversation in his head. "Carrie I . . ." His tone softened after realizing how he had snapped at her. "Don't send me away, all I want to do is protect you. I don't want him to put his hands on you again. I can't do that fastened in a straight jacket. I need you to believe me, I might be unstable but I would never hurt you. Right now, the only person I want to hurt, is him." he slammed a fist against the car door. "Don't send me back there." His voice seemed both demanding and in the slightest bit pleading. _'I know I'm deranged, but I can't be that far away from you again.'_  
"Asylum? Kane I'd never send you some place like that, I promise. I just want to make sure you're OK . . . physically. This is all my fault!" Putting her face in her palms Carrie tried to figure out how all this had happened.  
"It's not . . . It's really . . . it's over. We need to go now." He glanced out the window, squinting into the night waiting for another attack while failing at making intelligible sentences. "I can't right now . . . can't . . . I'm not at my best. I need some sleep." His eyes were heavy, moderate blood loss and fatigue were truly getting to him.  
"Yeah, duh, of course." She knocked a palm against her forehead before starting up the car. "Lets get going, I'll grab those things and you can finally sleep!" She turned the wheel, starting their trek back to safer grounds.

Other than Kane's groans and heavy breathing the car had been cloaked in silence till they reached their final destination.  
"Carrie?" He grumbled as the car came to a stop.  
"Yeah? Everything Ok?" She fiddled with the door handle but as she was about to get out and assist Kane he had grabbed her arm, holding her in place. Reaching out a mangled fist he held it out. "Now I understand why you wear a glove over this thing, you really did a number on these poor guys" She ran a thumb across row of raw knuckles.  
"You made it better last time . . . back at the hotel." He could tell Carrie was wracked with guilt, he was trying to distract her from their present situation.  
"Your noggin is all kinds of scrambled right now isn't it?" Carrie smirked before kissing the broken skin.  
"You know Carrie . . . I'm not just keeping you around for no reason." He began to crane himself forward.  
"What you need someone to kiss your boo-boos?"  
"Ugh don't make me laugh." Kane winced, even the slightest chuckle sent a shot of pain through his body.  
"Sorry, Sorry" Carrie helped Kane the remainder of the way through the parking lot.  
"I need someone who cares. No one cares Carrie . . . just you. He's got one thing right, you're all I got." 


End file.
